Guardians of the Galaxy Director Admits He’s Read Most Nova Comics

In case you’re concerned James Gunn doesn’t know anything about Nova, you need not worry. The Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker admitted on Twitter this weekend he’d read the vast majority of comics featuring the Human Rocket, Richard Rider. The comment comes in response to a fan who asked the filmmaker a painfully honest question — “I heard you don’t know anything about NOVA is that true??”

“No,” Gunn replied. “I’ve probably read 75% of Nova comics in existence.”

After having a healthy introductory solo run in the 1970s, Nova has since gone on to have a few separate volumes. His mid-90s series led way to a crossover with the New Warriors before he was a starring member in the mid-200s cosmic epic Annihilation. It was then Sam Alexander took over as the character momentarily until Richard Rider was brought back from the Cancerverse in a post-Secret Wars world.

The character is also someone Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has said is someone with “immediate potential” at the studio. “We love Nova, it would be cool,” Feige said. In a previous conversation, Feige revealed why the character was such a hit with the studio, even confirming the character was originally in the original Guardians of the galaxy.

“Nova is… if we have a big board with a bunch of characters that have more immediate potential, Nova is on that board,” Feige said. “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].”

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has yet to set a release date.

Other upcoming MCU films include Black Widow on May 1, 2020, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier in Fall 2020, The Eternals on November 6, 2020, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on February 12, 2021, WandaVision is set to hit Disney+ Spring 2021, Loki in Spring 2021, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on May 7, 2021, What If…? in Summer 2021, Hawkeye in Fall 2021, and Thor: Love and Thunder on November 5, 2021, and Black Panther 2 on May 6, 2022. Marvel Studios Disney+ series without release dates include Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, and She-Hulk.

What surprises do you hope are in store for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3? Share your thoughts in the comments below or by tweeting me at @AdamBarnhardt to chat all things MCU!