Recently, it was announced that a fan-favorite Marvel Comics character would finally be getting their own project: Nova. The reports indicated that something is in the works, but whether it was going to be a movie or a Disney+ series remains up in the air. The bigger question, however, was which Nova will Marvel Studios bring to life first? There's both the original Richard Rider who started out in 1976, and then Sam Alexander, who was a younger version of the character introduced separately in 2011.
Obviously, when it comes to Rider, his history is richer, and his fanbase larger; something that his time in existence certainly helps with. He even got what was essentially a new origin story during the Annihilation event, which saw him take on an immeasurable amount of cosmic power. The legendary storyline saw Rider forced to be the sole protector of all Xandarian power and culture thanks to the destruction of every other member of the Nova Corps (basically space police).
Sam Alexander, however, was first introduced into comics separately from Rider, who, at the time, had just sacrificed himself to save the universe. Sam, who is thirteen years old at the start of his superhero career, wears a unique black Nova Corps outfit and takes on those associated powers after the disappearance of his father—who was a former Corps member himself.
So which iteration of the character will fans see? Well, a new rumor suggests that both will be in the spotlight.
The Future of Nova Revealed?
Warning - This article contains potential spoilers for Marvel Studios' Nova project.
Thanks to the Cosmic Circus, the potential ending of the upcoming MCU Nova project has been revealed.
To the joy of many fans, it seems that Marvel Studios aims to utilize both iterations (Richard Rider and Sam Alexander) of Nova at the same time. The site compares the potential situation to that of Insomniac's Spider-Man franchise on PS4/PS5, where Miles and Peter are both active at the same time. As such, Rider would already be established as Nova while introducing Sam Alexander to take the mantle as well.
While the details of what would happen throughout the project are unknown, The Cosmic Circus mentioned that by the end of the movie or series, both of the Novas would remain active. Neither would be replaced by the other.
Richard Rider would mostly stay in space and deal with the larger cosmic-scale events and conflicts, while Sam Alexander would stay on Earth, focusing on the more street-level threats and potentially interacting with other younger heroes. No details were known as to how long Rider would have been already established, or if their intentions with Sam have anything to do with all the young heroes being introduced into the MCU.
It's important to reiterate how these are all still strictly rumors. While the site mentioned that the details have remained consistent throughout the last year or two, many things could change by the time it finally reaches production.
Two Novas Are Better Than One
Adapting both of them would be a great move on Marvel Studios' part, and one that is far less likely to upset fans of either (or both) iterations. Even better, if the rumor is correct, is how both will continue to be active throughout the MCU.
Ironically, the two of them don't actually interact all that much in the comics, and their origins are very separate from each other. There was only one run of the comics where the two shared substantial time together; the rest had been minor appearances here and there. Though, their dynamic could be really fun to explore and become more meaningful than it ever was in the written material.
Having another big cosmic player on the board would be fantastic. Rider is currently a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy in the comics, so there's a very good chance fans will see him as a member of that group in future MCU projects—or whatever cosmic team-up group may end up being active at the time.
As for Sam, integrating him with the younger heroes on Earth would be a fantastic way to go. He'd also likely get a spot in the Young Avengers, in whatever form it takes, whenever the team is pulled together.
Sadly, fans have quite a long way to go before seeing the Nova project come to fruition. Hopefully, by the time it does arrive, it'll be worth the long wait to see the two translated onto screens worldwide.
