Marvel fans have been waiting to see Nova in the MCU for the longest time, ever since Guardians of the Galaxy introduced the Nova Corps back in 2014. Fast forward to 2021 and we’re still waiting on an official announcement that he’s on the way, but we’ve been told to sit patiently and the wait will eventually be worth it. It remains unclear when he’ll debut, but Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has now confirmed that not one but two versions of Nova are coming to the MCU.
While speaking to ComicBook.com, Feige was asked whether the hero will get his own film or appear in a supporting role, and if it’ll be original version, Richard Rider, or teenage successor Sam Alexander behind the helmet. In response, the producer said: “Well, yes and yes.” This appears to be Feige making clear that there are plans for all of these scenarios in the works, meaning Nova will turn up all over the MCU and both versions will feature at some point.
When asked about the character’s immediate potential, the head honcho promised that Marvel is embracing the “cosmic end” of the franchise going forward.
“Timing is relative, right? I think I’d been talking about Doctor Strange eight years before that movie came out,” Feige said. “So, ‘immediate potential’ is relative. But clearly, we are not shying away from the cosmic end of storytelling right in the sweet spot of the Nova Corps and Nova himself.”
Feige has previously said that it wasn’t a coincidence that Avengers: Infinity War paved the way for Nova’s introduction, with the Nova Corps said to have been wiped out by Thanos, leaving it possible that Richard Rider could end up being gifted his powers by a dying Rhomann Dey (John C. Reilly), like in the comics. As for Alexander, the adolescent hero may link into the franchise’s growing Young Avengers team.
Of course, fans are still hoping that Rider will debut in either Captain Marvel 2 or Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which are due in 2022 and 2023, respectively. While we wait to learn more, though, us know how excited you are to see Nova in the MCU in the usual place below.