Nova has been one of the most important cosmic heroes in Marvel Comics since his debut in 1976. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist John Buscema, Richard Rider was an ordinary teenager from Earth who was chosen by the last surviving member of the intergalactic Nova Corps to inherit his powers, including enhanced strength, flight, energy projection, and a connection to the Xandarian Worldmind. While Nova hasn’t achieved the same level of popularity as other Marvel heroes like The Hulk or Wolverine, he’s played a crucial role in numerous major crossover events, and has been a member of multiple teams.
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Rumors have swirled for years about Marvel Studios bringing Nova into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though nothing has come to fruition yet. Still, considering the presence of the Nova Corps in James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy, along with a growing cast of cosmic characters, Nova would fit right into the MCU. If Marvel Studios is looking for inspiration, these five Nova storylines would be perfect adaptations.
Nova: Resurrection
Richard Rider returns from the dead following the events of The Thanos Imperative, but finds himself struggling to come to terms with his second chance at life. He no longer fits in with Earth’s heroes or the cosmic heroes he fought alongside, yet is determined to rebuild his life regardless. His life is given new meaning when he befriends Sam Alexander, the young man who took up the mantle of Nova following Richard’s death.
This story could be adapted into the MCU quite easily. It’s already been established that Thanos decimated Xandar, which includes the Nova Corp, which can set up Richard as the last surviving member. He could then mentor Sam to take over his role as Nova, not unlike the relationship seen between Hank Pym and Scott Lang in Ant-Man.
War of Kings
[RELATED: Is Marvel Killing Nova After His Disney+ Series Was Delayed?]
The Kree, led by the Inhuman King Black Bolt, has gone to war with the Shi’ar Empire, ruled by the ruthless Emperor Vulcan (the long-lost brother of X-Man Scott Summers / Cyclops). Nova is caught in the middle of this massive skirmish, zipping around the galaxy to protect innocent planets caught in the crossfire.
We’ve already seen the Kree in the MCU, along with the Inhumans (though in a less definitive way than fans might like), so there’s plenty of groundwork already laid out for a War of Kings-like film somewhere down the line. It doesn’t even need to be a major crossover film; the main war could serve as the backdrop to introduce Nova as a cosmic peacekeeper.
Realm of Kings
In this follow-up to War of Kings, the fallout from those events leads to a tear in space known as the Fault, resulting in incursions from a twisted alternate reality called the Cancerverse. Nova and the Nova Corp must do everything in their power to take out the oncoming interdimensional threat, and are forced to turn to the Guardians of the Galaxy for help.
An adaptation of Realm of Kings would be a great way to introduce Nova, as previous crossover films have been largely Earthbound; a non-Avengers space-based event film could really shake things up in the MCU, as well as give its existing cosmic characters more to do. Plus, now that the multiverse has been well-established, Realm of Kings could tie directly into that concept.
Annihilation
Annihilation sees the universe thrown into turmoil when Annihilus and his annihilation wave invade the cosmos. The Nova Corps is all but wiped out, leaving Richard Rider as the last surviving member, who must now team up with Drax, Silver Surfer, and even Ronan the Accuser to take on a seemingly unstoppable force.
One of the most pervasive rumors about the Nova project that Marvel Studios was working on was that Annihilus was going to be the main antagonist, and we still think this is a great idea. Ronan the Accuser may be dead, but with a new version of the Silver Surfer joining the MCU soon and members of the Guardians of the Galaxy still floating around to boot, it’s more than possible to bring this storyline to the big screen in some form.
Nova: The Origin of Richard Rider
In this origin story, we learn how Richard Rider, an average teenager, is suddenly granted incredible powers by the dying Rhomann Dey, a member of the Nova Corps. But not only that, he is thrust into a war between the Xandarians and the Skrulls, and must now learn how to balance his responsibilities as a high school student and a cosmic peacekeeper.
An adaptation of this story could be set in the past, similar to Captain Marvel. The film could explore the Nova Corps as they’re being wiped out by Thanos, with Rhomann Dey (played by John C. Reilly, first introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy) passing on the mantle of Nova to a young Richard Rider just before dying. Then, the film could explore his formative years as an aspiring superhero before coming into his own in the present.
What are some other Nova comics that could be adapted into the MCU? Sound off in the comments below!
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Image Credit: Star Trek
