James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a movie packed to the brim with Easter eggs, Marvel deep cuts, and glorious cameos -- looking at you, David Hasselhoff. That said, amid all of the awesome reveals and references, the one that stands out the most is the film's final gut punch: Adam Warlock is coming. The iconic badass' cocoon has captured the imaginations of fans all over the world, and artist Ian Joyner has officially released his concept art showcasing the development of the synthetic hero's chamber. Check it out below.
For those of you who don't know much about his origins, Adam Warlock is one of Marvel's most beloved cosmic characters. A synthetic being created (not born) by a group known as The Enclave (which was changed to The Sovereign in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2), he is a hero with a vast array of powers and abilities -- such as super strength, speed, regeneration, the power of flight, and the ability to manipulate cosmic energy. Marvel fans have demanded to see the character enter the MCU for years, and Ayesha's decision to create him at the end of the latest Guardians adventure will have some fairly substantial ramifications over the next few years.
What's really striking about Ian Joyner's concept art for Adam Warlock's cocoon is how similar it looks to the comic book version. It's no secret that James Gunn and Marvel Studios have played fast and loose with the Marvel aesthetic in the creation of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, but a number of concepts and ideas have managed to receive notably faithful adaptations. Upon examination, it's clear that Adam Warlock's cocoon should fall into that category.
Despite the tease, it doesn't sound like we are going to see Adam Warlock enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe before Thanos (Josh Brolin) comes to town. The character has a deep connection to the Infinity War storyline, but James Gunn came out following the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and admitted that Adam wouldn't make his first official appearance in the MCU until Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. This means we still have quite a while to wait until the cosmic hero finally gets in on the action, but it also seems to indicate that he could potentially have a massive role in the MCU as older Phase 1 heroes retire to make way for the new guard. Considering how good his cocoon already looks, it stands to reason that the actual character will look just as great.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will be available digitally on August 8, and the film will be available on Blu-ray, 4K, and DVD two weeks later on August 22. As for the rest of the movies that are slated to debut in theaters in 2017, make sure to take a glance at our movie premiere guide!
