Marvel Studios Reportedly Changes Plans for Nova’s MCU Debut

By Aeron Mer Eclarinal Updated:
Nova, Marvel Studios, Avengers

While the Marvel Cinematic Universe has already introduced a plethora of characters, one superhero has yet to debut in the form of Nova. 

After a scrapped appearance in Avengers: Infinity War, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige teased that Nova may soon arrive, noting that they are "not shying away from the cosmic end of storytelling right in the sweet spot of the Nova Corps and Nova himself."

Since then, news started to emerge about the development of a Nova project, with one rumor even pointing to a production start in 2023

Now, a promising new update for Nova was revealed. 

Marvel Studios' Nova Rumored To Be a Special Presentation 

The Cosmic Circus shared that Nova will be showcased as a Marvel Studios Special Presentation that will premiere on Disney+ down the line. 

If this rumor is true, then Nova is set to follow in the footsteps of Michael Giacchino's Werewolf By Night and James Gunn's The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.

Back in May 2020, The Illuminerdi revealed that the project is in the early stages of development, with the outlet's source strongly believing then that it would be produced as a movie for Phase 5 or later. 

Fast forward to March 2022, Deadline shared that Moon Knight writer Sabir Pirzada will serve as the writer for the Nova project. The outlet also noted that its sources say that it would either be a theatrical film or a streaming series for Disney+, with the latter being the "likely" option.

The Cosmic Circus' latest report indicates that Marvel Studios is now aiming to introduce Nova in a one-off special rather than in a limited series episodic adventure.

Will a Special Presentation Format Work for Nova?

Nova's MCU debut has been a long time coming, but the question remains if the Special Presentation format would work well for the character. 

Werewolf By Night proved that the aforementioned format is perfect to tell a self-contained story that doesn't require a bunch of episodes. If this rumor is true, then a Nova project could entirely focus on one aspect of the character's story before being featured in another MCU movie or Disney+ series down the line. 

Nova's Special Presentation could focus on his origin story, or it could even follow him already as a hero that has been patrolling space for years now.

Another story possibility for Nova could rely on a previous rumor where it states that both iterations of the characters (Richard Rider and Sam Alexander) will be featured in the project, with them being active at the same time. 

That said, then this could hint that the Special Presentation could serve as a way to utilize Rider's expertise with the Nova mantle while showing the ropes to Alexander on Earth. Having both characters appear in the project also allows the Special Presentation to explore both space and Earth, another unique approach that would mirror the movies. 

Whatever the case, Nova's introduction down the line is poised to expand the MCU's cosmic side like never before. 

- About The Author: Aeron Mer Eclarinal
Aeron is a news/features writer and Content Lead for The Direct who has been working for the site since March 2020. From writing about the inter-connectivity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to having an extended knowledge about DC TV's Arrowverse, Aeron's expertise has since expanded into the realm of reality TV, K-drama, animated, and live-action shows from Netflix,  Disney+, Prime Video, MGM+, Peacock, Paramount+, and Max. When he isn't writing and watching all things MCU, Aeron is heavily invested with the NBA (go Celtics!) and occasionally watches thrilling matches in the WWE.