Will Poulter's Union County fights opioid stigma
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Will Poulter stars as Cody in Union County, directed by Adam Meeks, depicting a real-life drug recovery court in Bellefontaine, Ohio, where the character quietly seeks a chance at recovery.
- Union County blends narrative filmmaking with documentary-style elements, featuring first-time actors who share their own recovery stories alongside Poulter and Noah Centineo as foster brothers getting clean.
- Poulter praised the film's focus on the recovery program's over 50% success rate rather than devastation, contrasting it with Hollywood misfires such as Beautiful Boy, Ben Is Back, and Hillbilly Elegy.
- Poulter called the Trump administration's cut of more than $1bn in federal funding to mental health and addiction programs 'devastating,' linking the rollbacks to harmful stigma and misinformation.
- Poulter said he had 'no idea' whether he would return as Adam Warlock in Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday, noting he would be 'honored to come back' if asked.
- Poulter's upcoming projects include the Netflix hostage drama Rabbit, Rabbit with Adam Driver and Regina Hall, and the Apple TV dramedy Beat The Reaper.
Why it matters: Poulter is amplifying the stories of real recovery court participants while directly criticizing federal policy decisions that fund those very programs—his visibility as a Marvel alum and Emmy nominee gives the issue a mainstream platform most addiction films never achieve.
Ask SkimNews
