Word on the street is that Barbie’s Ryan Gosling might be making an MCU debut and all eyes are towards this one character named Nova. In the comics, Nova (aka Richard Rider) was a human on Earth but was chosen by Rhomann Dey to inherit his powers. From there, this ordinary teenager received superpowers and became an intergalactic superhero, all whilst attempting to live a normal human life.
While these rumors of Gosling taking a role in the MCU have not yet been confirmed, there is no reason why Nova shouldn’t be involved in the Multiverse Saga of the MCU. After all, he is an intergalactic hero, and the Nova Corp does exist in the MCU. So if Marvel Studios does plan to include Nova in the MCU, then these titles are perfect to help tie him into the current story.
5. Avengers: Secret Wars
If Marvel Studios have no idea how to include this super-powered being in the MCU, they could pull off a deus ex machina and have him appear in the middle of a battle. After all, the multiverse is collapsing due to an incursion. So if various variants are popping in and out, why not have one of Marvel’s strongest heroes join in the fight?
4. A stand-alone film or Disney Plus series
As mentioned earlier, Nova started as a teenager before he got his powers. So what if there was another coming-of-age film that also hammered home how being an adult superhero isn’t easy? The only issue is that Spider-Man already did this, and in some cases, Hawkeye. Still, there’s plenty of promise for Nova to make a name for himself in the MCU as many Marvel fans — even long-time comic fans — won’t be all-too familiar with Nova, so it would be a nice introduction for anyone that doesn’t really know much about Nova’s history.
3. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Guardians of the Galaxy first introduced the Nova Corp, a space militia and exploration division. While Nova didn’t play a role when Ronan was making his way to Xandar with an infinity stone, there’s no reason as to why he shouldn’t meet the Guardians of the Galaxy throughout their adventures. Whether they work together or not is all up to James Gunn and the Marvel Studios team, but it is a missed opportunity to have him meet Peter Quill. In the comics, Quill is part of the Nova Corps along with the other Guardians.
2. The Marvels
In the comics, Carol Danvers also has ties with the Nova Corp. In the films, she mentioned briefly how she also helps other planets that are in trouble, especially during the aftermath of Thanos’ snap. While it’s currently unknown what’s going to happen in The Marvels, especially due to Carol and Kamala swapping places at the end of Disney Plus’ Ms. Marvel, there is a chance that these two super-powered beings will meet.
1. Secret Invasion
Nova played a role in Secret Invasion in the comic books, so it will be disappointing if he’s not included in the MCU live-action adaptation. In the original comic book story, one of the Skrull revealed that he once saved his life, and Nova played a role in stopping the invasion. While the MCU adaptation will focus on Nick Fury and his association with the Skrulls since Captain Marvel, it will be a missed opportunity for Nova to introduce himself and aid in stopping the invasion.
The MCU has introduced some intergalactic heroes like the Eternals and the Guardians of the Galaxy, and will continue in the narrative that Earth is not alone. There are threats out there in the farthest reaches of space that will harm anyone that would stand in its way. So if that’s the case, the Earth should arm itself with heroes who can offer the same firepower to stop these intergalactic threats. And with the Eternals taken away by Arishem the Judge, Captain Marvel and the rest of the remaining Avengers could use any help they could get.