Early Adam Warlock Character Designs for GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 Revealed
Before Adam Warlock flew his way into the hearts of Marvel fans in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 with gold-plated bravado and awkward naivety, the character almost took a very different visual path.
Concept artist Constantine Sekeris recently shared some early concept art that offers a glimpse at how Marvel Studios was tinkering with Warlock’s design before landing on what we saw on screen.
Sekeris shared the designs via social media, giving fans a look at a more space-armor-heavy iteration of Warlock, complete with a helmet and Sovereign fleet suit underneath. According to Sekeris:
“Hello, All…….been a min since last posted anything….taking a break from the wolfman sketches and posting some very early Adam Warlock designs for Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 working at Marvel studios in Vis Dev lead by Andy Park….
“This designs is more of a space suit that would have a helmet….he would have a basic uniform of the sovereign fleet suits underneath and would form a spacesuit ontop when flying in space……
“Really fun character to bring to life….it was early and we spit ball ideas to see what is liked or not…more to come…..humbly thanks.”
The final version we got was a more simplified approach, visually echoing the Sovereign’s gold aesthetic while leaning into Warlock’s awkward transition from lethal weapon to bumbling Guardian. And while Will Poulter’s portrayal ended up striking the right balance of menace and cluelessness, it’s fascinating to see that the team almost gave him a more militarized, armored look.
Warlock also originally had a bit more screen time, too. One deleted scene that surfaced after the film’s digital release gives a glimpse into a much darker version of the character.
In it, Sovereign high priestess Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki) grows increasingly exasperated as her son fails to wipe out the Guardians. Warlock, ever the obedient (and a bit deranged) son, makes a chilling promise: vengeance at any cost.
The scene starts with some skull-stomping and brain-squashing, and things go from disturbing to what-the-hell-is-happening territory with Warlock urinating on the bodies... and yeah, a quick detour into necrophilia. Not exactly Disney-friendly.
It’s not hard to see why that one didn’t make it to theaters.