For years, Marvel Studios has tantalized fans with the possibility of introducing Nova, the intergalactic cop with enough firepower to lobotomize Ego the Living Planet, into the MCU. Thankfully, all those rumors have now turned into something more concrete – and more official.
Brad Winderbaum, Marvel’s Head of Streaming, Animation, and Television, has revealed that Nova is finally in the early stages of development at Marvel Studios, after countless false starts. Let’s just hope this time it sticks!
“We love Nova. We are in really early development on Nova,” he confessed on ComicBook.com’s Phase Zero podcast. The discussion of Nova taking form as a series on Disney+ seems to be the current betting favorite, a move that has fans perking up in interest.
Nova, for those uninitiated in the cosmic battles of the Marvel universe, is no small fry. Making his comic book debut in 1976, Richard Rider became the last standing member of the Nova Corps, an elite spacefaring force.
Then, in a new twist, 2011 saw the introduction of Sam Alexander’s Nova, a youthful iteration that has since captivated a new generation of fans. Unfortunately, despite a backstory ripe for a cinematic adaptation, Nova has remained conspicuously absent from the MCU lineup.
Given Marvel’s penchant for mining its vast array of characters, overlooking Nova has puzzled many comic book fans. The MCU has never shied away from bringing even the most obscure heroes and villains into the limelight, yet Nova has failed to get even a single cameo. Until now, perhaps.
For fans, this is not just about giving Nova a slot on the MCU roster but more about acknowledging his potential to shake things up for the studio that’s seemingly out of ideas. It’s no secret that Marvel has had a rocky few years, and many believe Nova could be the solution.
From the comics, Nova has proven himself a formidable force, capable of going toe-to-toe with the likes of Thanos and Beta Ray Bill. His powers are not to be underestimated, and his battles are the stuff of legend. If you need proof of this, just read the Annihilation comics.
We all know how Marvel’s development process is chaotic. Projects are conjured, developed, and sometimes shelved in the blink of an eye. The commitment to bringing Nova to life is there, but as any seasoned Marvel observer knows, the path from development to the big screen is filled with a myriad of challenges.
Since Winderbaum mentioned Richard Rider, we can assume we won’t be getting Sam Alexander’s Nova. At least not at the beginning. Either way, as long as fans get to see Nova on screen, we’re certain they won’t be too picky about which version of the intergalactic cop they’ll get.
