WICKED's Jonathan Bailey Reportedly in the Running for Marvel’s NOVA
A new rumor has surfaced claiming that Wicked actor Jonathan Bailey could potentially join the MCU as Richard Rider, a.k.a. Nova.
Industry scooper MyTimeToShineHello stirred up the speculation with a recent post on X, saying, “Jonathan Bailey is being considered for the role of Richard Rider in the NOVA series.”
While there’s no official confirmation from Marvel Studios yet, the possibility has fans talking. This rumor comes after it was reported 1923 actor Brandon Sklenar was also possibly wanted for the role.
It was also previously reported that "Marvel reached out to writers and asked them to pitch for Nova [TV] show with Annihilus as the main villain in mind. They also requested the story to feel 'young and sexy,' capturing the energy of 80s military movies."
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.