The Villain of Marvel's NOVA Series Reportedly Revealed

Marvel’s Nova series is moving forward as it recently landed a head writer and showrunner Ed Bernero (Criminal Minds). We’ve now got a new report regarding the possible villain of the story.

According to Daniel Richtman, the villain of Nova will be Annihilus, a powerful a villain primarily known as a nemesis of the Fantastic Four and a major cosmic threat.

Originating from the Negative Zone, Annihilus is an insectoid alien ruler who possesses incredible intelligence, strength, and endurance. His power is largely derived from the Cosmic Control Rod, a weapon that grants him vast abilities, including control over energy, enhanced longevity, and the power to manipulate matter.

Annihilus views all life as a threat to his existence, leading him to wage war against entire universes. His most notable storyline in the comics saw him spearheading the Annihilation Wave, an unstoppable fleet that devastated countless worlds, including the Nova Corps.

The character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and he was reportedly going to make his MCU debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 before it was decided to go with the High Evolutionary character.

Kevin Feige previously confirmed that the series would focus on the Richard Rider version of Nova, who was Introduced in The Man Called Nova #1 (1976) by writer Marv Wolfman and artist John Buscema.

Richard Rider begins as an ordinary high school student from Long Island, New York. His life changes when he is chosen by Rhomann Dey, a dying member of the intergalactic Nova Corps, to inherit his powers and the mantle of Nova Prime.

Endowed with superhuman strength, flight, energy projection, and enhanced durability through the Nova Force, Richard becomes Earth’s representative of the Nova Corps, a cosmic peacekeeping organization.

Over time, Nova matures from a youthful, impulsive hero into a battle-hardened leader, playing a central role in major cosmic events.

It was also explained that the series will have "shades of" both Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica.