Marvel Studios Executive Confirms a NOVA Project is in Development
There have been reports of Marvel Studios developing a Nova film project for years. A couple of years ago it was reported that the studio started working on the project with Moon Knight writer Sabir Pirzada. That version of the project was a TV series. It was later reported that Marvel was reworking it as a movie.
Now, there’s official confirmation from Marvel's head of streaming, animation, and television, Brad Winderbaum, that Nova is in development at Marvel Studios. While speaking with CB, he said:
"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. The world is always chaos. There's always things. You gotta conjure these things to make them happen but I would love to see a Nova show, one day."
The mention of him wanting to see a “Nova show” seems to indicate that the project is still being developed as a series. He also confirms that the project will revolve around the Rich Rider version of the character.
Nova was originally introduced in 1976 in The Man Called Nova #1 and he was a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Nova Corps. He has superhuman abilities including enhanced strength, flight and resistance to injury.
Richard Rider “was just your average teenager. Not the class clown, neither the wallflower, nor the cool kid. He went to high-school, had girl troubles and tried to help out his parents and younger brother when he was at home. All seemed to go their normal way for the young Richard until he came into contact with the Nova Corps. The Nova Corps was a peace-keeping force that was based on the planet Xandar. The planet was destroyed by the space pirate known as Zorr. When Rhomann Dey, the Nova Prime, was dying he fled through the universe and went to Earth. There he chose Richard Rider to receive his powers and granted him the Nova Force. He was asked by Rhomann Dey to use his powers for the good of Earth and the universe and serve as its protector. This was a lot for the teen-aged Rider but he nonetheless started a superhero career with his newfound powers as Nova, the Human Rocket!”
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige previously talked about Nova potentially being introduced to the MCU, saying: “Nova is… if we have a big board with a bunch of characters that have more immediate potential, Nova is on that board. Because of the connection to the Guardians universe, because there are more than one examples to pull from in the comics that are interesting. And you’re absolutely right, he was in the earliest drafts of the [Guardians of the Galaxy].”
Are you excited that Marvel is developing a Nova project? What would you like to see from it?