Marvel Studios has finally confirmed that Richard Rider, one of Marvel‘s most beloved cosmic characters, is set to make his long-awaited debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The exciting news was revealed in an exclusive interview by ComicBook‘s Brandon Davis with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige. Despite several forays into the Marvel cosmos and the introduction of the Nova Corps, the MCU has yet to introduce the character of Nova, but that’s all about to change.
In the interview, Feige confirmed the development of a Nova project featuring Richard Rider. When asked about the status of Nova’s inclusion in the MCU, Feige enthusiastically responded, “It’s happening, it’s coming together. Richard Rider, yep.” He further clarified that the project will take the form of a TV series rather than a movie, stating, “A show, yeah, yeah.” However, fans will need to be patient, as Feige indicated that the series is still a few years away from hitting the small screen: “It’s three or four years out.”
The announcement aligns with previous hints about a Nova project from Marvel‘s head of streaming, animation, and television, Brad Winderbaum. In an earlier interview, Winderbaum expressed his enthusiasm for Nova, saying:
“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.”
Why Have We Not Seen Nova So Far?
Nova’s absence from the MCU has been a topic of much speculation and discussion among fans. Notably, Richard Rider was considered for an early draft of Avengers: Infinity War. Despite significant efforts by screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, the character was ultimately left out. Fans were also surprised by his exclusion from the Guardians of the Galaxy films, given the prominent role of the Nova Corps. Director James Gunn previously shed light on this decision, explaining his vision for the Guardians films. He said:
“Yeah, I never had Richard Rider in anything. He’s just too big of a character and he seemed too… I didn’t want to… From the beginning, when I came on board Guardians , I didn’t want to have two human beings. I wanted to have one human being so that he could be surrounded in this world of aliens. And then we realized little by little, that all of these characters are the only of their kind, they’re the only human being to them, you know?”
Stay tuned for further updates on Nova and his journey to the MCU, as Marvel Studios continues to expand its cosmic universe.
via Collider