Will Adam Warlock Make His MCU Debut In 'Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2'?

2017 is sure to be one of Marvel's best years. Not only will we return to Asgard in Thor: Ragnarok and see Tom Holland's Spider-Man star in his first solo movie, we're also ready to travel spacebound for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2! In case you're not hyped enough already, it's worth bearing in mind that the promo for Guardians 2 is the second-most-viewed trailer of all time — behind only Beauty and the Beast!

As we move ever-closer to the film's release date, fans are speculating about key details, including what will the story entail and will any fresh faces appear. However, out of all the potential characters who could debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, comic book fans are most excited about the possibility of Adam Warlock appearing. Will this turn out to be the case? It's time to look at the evidence!

Who Is Adam Warlock?

Envisioned as a mystical sort of 'Messiah' figure, Adam Warlock was created by a scientific group known as the Enclave to be the 'perfect human'. It's impossible to overstate Warlock's powerset; he can manipulate so-called "Quantum Magic" to project energy beams, teleport, and create wormholes through space-time. On top of this, Warlock also possesses all of the classic superhero abilities — superhuman strength, flight, resistance to injury... You name it, he's got it.

Warlock was originally created by Stan Lee as a being simply called 'HIM', but the character was later reworked by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane. In the end though, it took the genius of Jim Starlin to truly make Warlock a significant figure in Marvel history; Starlin pitted Warlock against the villainous Thanos, and united Warlock with the Soul Gem, one of the Infinity Stones.

So why do some fans believe Warlock could appear in the MCU pretty soon — and, specifically, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2?

The first Guardians of the Galaxy is absolutely filled with Easter eggs, and one of the most famous is in the Collector's museum. Look very carefully and you see a telltale cocoon.

One of the most curious characteristics of Adam Warlock is that he tends to slip into regenerative sleep — and when he does so, he forms a cocoon around himself. It's worth noting that, although James Gunn has confirmed that is indeed Warlock's cocoon, he denied that its inclusion was originally meant as setup; it was simply a cool cosmic Easter Egg.

As we all know, sometimes Easter Eggs like that can backfire; there's actually an Infinity Gauntlet (twin to the one Thanos wears) in Odin's vault back in Thor. But it's entirely possible that this particular Easter Egg will lead to something...

2. Adam Warlock Plays An Integral Role in 'Infinity Gauntlet'

Adam Warlock really became a major #Marvel character when Jim Starlin integrated him into his epic Infinity Gauntlet miniseries. Here's the thing; as I've discussed in an earlier post, Infinity Gauntlet looks set to be the major inspiration for #AvengersInfinityWar. If that is indeed the case, then we'd expect Adam Warlock to play some sort of role. It would also be wiser to set him up before using him as a major character!

3. Ayesha is a Key Character

Here's where things get particularly interesting. Elizabeth Debicki is confirmed as playing the character of Ayesha in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. This little-known character is another of the Enclave's creations, and was essentially intended to be the HER to Warlock's HIM.

Now, it's worth noting that James Gunn's version of Ayehsa is very different to the character fans know and love. He explained:

"She's a member of this race called the Sovereign, and they're all genetically created by themselves as a self-sustaining race who are perfect."

Tie this into the mystical feeling that Pom Klementieff's Mantis brings to the trailer, and the character of Adam Warlock seems as though he'd fit right in.

4. James Gunn's Reticence

And then we come to a subtle detail that, frankly, may not indicate anything. You see, James Gunn has been asked many times whether or not Adam Warlock is in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 — and this is the one question he seems to be avoiding answering. Take his recent Periscope chat, for example; Gunn answers countless questions, even dismissing a popular fan-theory as a "rumor", but ignores questions about Adam Warlock. At times, he even scrolls back through the questions to spot repeated ones, but this question — repeated many times — goes unanswered. As I say, this reticence may not mean anything; watch the chat yourself, and see what you think. It's a minor point, but it does seem worth noting.

Asked for more information on a set visit, Gunn responded by saying it was "totally possible" that Ayesha and Adam Warlock are in some way related: "They're created in pods." Again, while this doesn't seem to indicate the character's presence, it seems to be avoiding the point.

In spite of the mounting evidence, it's still worth bearing in mind that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is already taking great liberties with the canon; Mantis is an alien rather than a human, and Ego is Star-Lord's father. James Gunn's version of Adam Warlock may be very different to the character we know and love; for all we know, the #MCU version of Adam Warlock could be crossed with Peter Quill, making Star-Lord the Warlock figure!

Whatever the truth may be, though, I can't help but strongly suspect that Adam Warlock will soon make his debut in the MCU.

(Source: ComicBook.com)