Will Poulter may have been transformed into a pin-up hunk thanks to his Guardians of the Galaxy workout plan – but he has warned fans never to follow in his muscle-building footsteps.
For many, the 29-year-old actor is famous for his fresh-faced appearances as teenage characters in box office hits including The Chronicles of Narnia and We’re The Millers.
Now the British star is drawing attention for new reasons thanks to his rippling muscles that he grew to take on the role of superhero Adam Warlock in upcoming Marvel film Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3.
But Will warns that gaining muscle to play a superhero might be fine for a Hollywood actor who has a film studio paying for his meals and a personal trainer – meaning fans might struggle to bankroll such a transformation themselves.
He told The Independent: “The most important thing is that your mental and physical health has to be number one, and the aesthetic goals have to be secondary, otherwise you end up promoting something that is unhealthy and unrealistic if you don’t have the financial backing of a studio paying for your meals and training.
“I’m in a very privileged position in that respect, and I wouldn’t recommend anyone do what I did to get ready for that job.”
He also hinted that the extreme diet he was required to follow in order to stack on pounds of muscle altered his opinion of food.
He said: “I’ve gone through a series of different diets over the last few months.
“Now I’m in a maintenance phase, which is quite nice. I’m not eating copious amounts of food to bulk, and I’m not cutting. I’m just maintaining my weight.
“I’ve gone through periods of looking at food and feeling like I can’t face it, and then you blink and the next minute you’re ready to eat furniture because you’re so hungry.”
Will also revealed that his diet and exercise plan has played havoc with his social life – leaving unable to meet friends, go out for dinner, and he says he hasn’t been allowed to touch a drop of alcohol since New Year's Eve.
Will was announced as the actor set to play super powered space alien Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy 3 back in October last year.
When reports emerged that he had been cast, film director James Gunn stepped forth to shoot down any doubts.
Taking to Twitter, he declared at the time: “As you guys know I often strike down false rumours, so… um… Welcome to the Guardians family, Will Poulter. He’s an amazing actor and wonderful guy. See you in a couple weeks.”
While Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is not due for release until May 2023, James has been hyping up Will’s performance in the role.
He said in a recent interview with Screen Rant: “Oh, he's the best. He's the best. He's killing it. People are going to really love Adam — or love? They're going to appreciate Adam Warlock, I'll say.”
He also explained why he decided not to include Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 which was released back in 2017.
He said: “It was in the original draft – in the original treatment before it even became a screenplay – Adam Warlock was a major character.
“And the screenplay was just too busy, there were too many characters. And I couldn't do Nebula justice and Adam Warlock justice and have them both in there so I decided to save Adam for another day.”
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