Will Poulter Shared Concerns Over How His Transformation For "Guardians Of The Galaxy: Vol. 3" Could Affect His Mental Health

This article includes a discussion of food issues and body image.

The new Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is almost here!

movie poster
Marvel / © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

And a new challenger has appeared. Will Poulter will star as an antagonist, the genetically-engineered, "perfect specimen," Adam Warlock.

closeup of will
Gilbert Flores / Variety via Getty Images

In an interview with The Cut, the 30-year-old actor opened up about his love for cooking, eating, and how Marvel "prioritized [his] mental health" in preparing for the role.

"I really appreciated that they prioritized my mental health throughout the process because I was concerned about how it might affect me when I was really hungry or tired or stressed," Will said.

closeup of will
Jon Kopaloff / WireImage

According to Will, the character Adam Warlock is still "in his infancy" and "far from physically perfect in just about every way," but from what we've seen so far of the character, that's still pretty demanding in the world of superheroes:

cartoon characters
Disney XD

"I knew the second they cast me that they were going in a different direction," Will said, speaking of the appearance the character in film versus the comic books.

will in his character uniform
Jessica Miglio / © Marvel / © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

Last year, Will revealed that he "wouldn't recommend" what it took to get prepared for this role to anybody. “It’s been a lot of gym work and a very, very specific diet,” Will said. “Quantities of food you wouldn’t necessarily want to ingest, and other times not enough food."

closeup of will
Albert L. Ortega / Getty Images

Will's cautionary tale isn't new. Almost every actor who transitioned into the MCU underwent an intense transformation that speaks to how much it takes to become a superhero for the big screen.

closeup of will in character

I remember after Kumail Nanjiani's dramatic transformation for Eternals, he discussed how the project brought up his "weird" relationship with food.

closeup of kumail
Karwai Tang / WireImage

There was also the time when Paul Rudd revealed what it took to get shredded for his role in Ant-Man and The Wasp.

  Samir Hussein / Samir Hussein / WireImage
Samir Hussein / Samir Hussein / WireImage

And his costar Evangeline Lilly even posted a preview of her getting her arms "ready" for her character, Wasp.

#Wasp ready arms. 💪🏻. They better be. First official day of shooting for me tomorrow! 😃. #putmeincoach! pic.twitter.com/CtuCfBU8vw

— Evangeline Lilly (@EvangelineLilly) August 6, 2017

And there's that intense video of Brie Larson pushing a jeep in preparation for her role in the Captain Marvel movie.

And finally, Will's costar Chris Pratt opened up years ago about his significant change in weight over six months to prepare for his role in Guardians of the Galaxy.

closeup of chris

This newest installment will see his character Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, go up against Adam Warlock and another big bad known as The High Evolutionary.

Jon Kopaloff / WireImage

Based on the physical expectations of joining the MCU, it's nice to hear from actors like Will that their mental health is also prioritized.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be released in theaters on May 5, 2023.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline is 1-888-950-6264 (NAMI) and provides information and referral services; GoodTherapy.org is an association of mental health professionals from more than 25 countries who support efforts to reduce harm in therapy.

The National Eating Disorders Association helpline is 1-800-931-2237; for 24/7 crisis support, text “NEDA” to 741741.