The Marvel Cinematic Universe has introduced a considerable amount of heroic characters since it began back in 2008. From Iron Man and Black Widow to Ms. Marvel and the Eternals, there are plenty of super-powered beings that have inhabited the fictional world. There are, however, still more than a few that fans are still waiting to see make their MCU debuts. Within that pile of yet-to-be-added heroes is the mighty Nova, a cosmic adventurer who serves the Nova Corps. (which was introduced in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise). Well, those eager to see him are in luck, because a project centered around the character is in the works and, with that, I have a few questions to consider.
What Did Marvel Studios Say About A Nova-Centric Production?
It would be an understatement to say that a project involving Nova, whose real name is Richard Rider, has been long asked for. It was previously reported in 2022 that Marvel Studios was finally ready to introduce the long-awaited cosmic hero. At the time, it was said that Moon Knight scribe Sabir Pirzada had been tapped to oversee the production, which would reportedly be available for Disney+ subscribers. Since then, there haven’t been any concrete updates. That’s now changed, though, as the studio’s head of streaming, TV and animation, Brad Winderbaum, revealed that such a production is being planned:
We love Nova. We are in really early development on Nova. We have a new system behind-the-scenes at Marvel Studios. We're more like a traditional studio now. We're developing more than we actually will produce. There are plans to develop Nova. I love Nova, too. I love Rich Rider, too. I hope it gets to the screen. The world is always chaos. There's always things. You gotta conjure these things to make them happen but I would love to see a Nova show, one day.
The comments the producer shared with ComicBook.com are sure to get fans excited, as it’s been a long road for the character. Some were disappointed years ago when James Gunn opted not to include Nova in the Guardians films. Per what Brad Winderbaum said, it sounds like it’s still early days for this endeavor. Nevertheless, I don’t think it’s too soon for me to discuss a few queries in relation to it.
What Questions Do I Have About A Nova Project?
Of course, one of the biggest questions I have is whether this will be a theatrical or streaming endeavor. Movies are still Marvel Studios’ bread and butter, but the company has shifted many of its resources to small-screen productions like limited series and one-off specials. At one point, there was even a rumor that a Richard Rider story was being developed under the Special Presentation umbrella for Disney+. While I wouldn’t mind that being the case here, it would be really cool to see the character on the big screen.
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There’s also the matter of who’s going to play the titular hero. This has long been speculated upon and, like so many others, I’m curious as to which way the studio will go. One of the names that’s popped up most consistently is Ryan Gosling. Some cool fan art has even imagined what Gosling would look like as Nova. Honestly, I think that would be a solid casting choice but, as we’ve seen, Marvel has rarely ever gone with the obvious choice. And, of course, there’s also the possibility that the company chooses to focus on the Sam Alexander iteration of the character instead, which opens up totally different casting possibilities.
Finally, I wonder what kind of connections this supposed project might have to the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. As previously mentioned, that franchise introduced some major players from the organization that Richard Rider serves under. Such figures are Rhomann Dey (played by John C. Reilly) and Nova Prime (who’s portrayed by Glenn Close). It would definitely make sense for both characters to show up, and their inclusions would create some solid continuity with the Guardians series.
I suppose I probably shouldn’t get too ahead of myself, as this project is still in its infancy, by the sounds of it. Still, I’m excited over the notion of Nova finally soaring onto our screens. I hope to hear sooner rather than later that it’s been added to the list of upcoming Marvel TV shows or impending MCU movies.
