Will Poulter is a rising star on the Hollywood scene. The 28-year-old British actor has recently been cast in James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, as the supremely powerful Adam Warlock, whom fans have been waiting to see in the MCU since he was teased during the credits of the second Guardians movie.
Poulter's library of roles over the past few years certainly contributed to his casting, considering that he has plenty of impressive acting credits under his belt. If fans want to catch up with his career, then they should start with the best of his best projects.
Maze Runner: The Death Cure (6.3)
Based on the final book in James Dashner's Maze Runner trilogy, Maze Runner: The Death Cure included an appearance from Will Poulter as Gally, a character who had been believed deceased since the end of the first film. Gally leads Thomas and the main group to the rebellion that aims to take down the oppressive force that locked them in the maze in the first place.
While the film was not particularly well received by critics, fans generally showed up to see it, and Poulter turned in a compelling performance as Gally that would allow him to continue his career in bigger and better projects.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader (6.3)
One of his first major projects, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader starred Poulter as the smarmy cousin Eustace Clarence Scrubb, who follows Edmund and Lucy Pevensie on their third trek into the mythical world of Narnia. Though Disney's Narnia series never continued past this installment, Netflix has recently opted to take a stab at the classic property.
Poulter's character Eustace begins the film as an annoying and selfish brat, someone whom even Edmund, the same boy who ratted out his family for Turkish Delights, could not stand. However, during his arc in the movie, Eustace begins to realize that there are consequences to his actions, and improves over time, with Poulter pulls off this heroic transformation well.
The Maze Runner (6.8)
The first Maze Runner film featured a group of teenage boys forced to survive in an expansive maze, within which lurked terrifying monsters that blocked any and all means of escape. When mysterious newcomers Thomas and Teresa show up, the group might just have a chance to finally free themselves.
This film marks the first of Poulter's two appearances as Gally, one of the original survivors in the Maze. He often clashes with Thomas, seeming to have more knowledge of their situation than he ever let on. In the end, he appears to die, only to make his return in the aforementioned third film.
Son of Rambow (7.0)
Son of Rambow was a 2007 British comedy that was heavily inspired by Sylvester Stallone's Rambo: First Blood. The film was written and directed by The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy director Garth Jennings, and won an Empire award for Best Comedy.
In the film, Poulter plays Lee Carter, best friend to Bill Milner's main character Will Proudfoot. Over the course of the movie, Lee and Will attempt to make a student film based on the recent installment of the Rambo franchise. Along the way, they learn a few lessons about friendship (and safe movie-making techniques).
We're the Millers (7.0)
We're the Millers was a comedy released in 2013 depicting a group of neighbors banding together as a fake family in order to more easily smuggle drugs into the country from Mexico. Poulter stars alongside Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, and Emma Roberts, who together form the titular family.
Poulter's plays 18-year-old Kenny Rossmore, who is hired to act as Sudeikis's character's son--and is the "family member" least cut out for the job at hand. Viewers may recognize Poulter's character as the focal point of the infamous "You guys are getting paid?" meme, which originated from this movie.
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (7.1)
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is the infamous interactive Netflix original, which is set in the world of anthology series Black Mirror. Though the film received generally positive reviews from critics, many fans criticized its characters and limited effect that their choices had on the plot itself.
Will Poulter stars as Colin Ritman, a game designer who is approached with the revolutionary idea of creating a choose-your-own-adventure game titled Bandersnatch. Colin proves to be quite unstable and manipulative, often pushing protagonist Stefan into uncomfortable and dangerous situations.
Midsommar (7.1)
Midsommar was released in the summer of 2019 to rave reviews from critics, who praised the directing and acting that really sold audiences on the horrors depicted on-screen. The film turned out to be a breakout vehicle for its lead, Florence Pugh, who has gone on to star in several other major films since, including Little Women and Black Widow.
Viewers may cringe to remember Poulter's role as Mark, due to the grisly end the character meets in the film. Mark is one of Pugh's character's friends that attends the midsummer celebration with her, only to be brutally murdered and skinned by a cult, later having his face worn by one of its members.
Wild Bill (7.2)
Wild Bill is a 2011 British comedy film following a street criminal known as "Wild Bill," who must care for his two sons after learning that their mother had abandoned them while he was in prison. The film stars Charlie Creed-Miles as the titular criminal, as well as Andy Serkis, who has had plenty of iconic roles in his career.
Poulter plays Bill's oldest son, Dean, who drops out of school to help provide for his little brother, played by Sammy Williams. Over the course of the film, Dean reconnects with his father despite him being absent for most of his life.
Detroit (7.3)
Katheryn Bigelow's Detroit was a success among critics upon its release in 2017, as it was based on the incidents that occurred during Detroit's 12th Street Riot in 1967. Unfortunately, the film never drew in the audience that it had intended, resulting in a box office flop despite the critical praise.
Poulter lended his acting chops to the already stellar cast that included the likes of John Boyega, Algee Smith, and Kaitlyn Dever. Poulter played Philip Krauss, a racist and unstable police officer that murders several Black men and seems to get away with it. The film follows the main characters as they try to take down Krauss and his cohorts.
The Revenant (8.0)
The Revenant may be best known as the film that finally won Leonardo DiCaprio his Oscar. The film depicts fur trapper Hugh Glass as he treks across the countryside to get revenge on the man that left him for dead and murdered his son.
In this film, Poulter plays the role of Jim Bridger, one of the two men that abandoned Glass after he is mauled by a grizzly bear. Glass hunts down Bridger and his compatriot John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) in a bid for revenge. In the end, although Glass does exact revenge on Fitzgerald, he allows Bridger to live.