A Nova movie is finally happening as part of the MCU, and while it’s been eight years since Avengers: Infinity War was released, the upcoming film could finally show one of Thanos’ deadliest off-screen stories. The Nova Corps were properly introduced to the MCU in Guardians of the Galaxy, with their planet Xandar being a major setting for the film. Ever since then, fans have begged for a movie centered on Richard Rider or one of the other Nova superheroes, yet more than a decade after their MCU debut, it still hasn’t happened.
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Very few details are known about the in-the-works Nova movie, but it has been announced that Michael Waldron is writing the project, an MCU alum who previously wrote Loki, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Avengers: Doomsday. Since Nova won’t be released until after the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga, it would be shocking if it takes place before Avengers: Secret Wars. However, a portion of it definitely needs to be dedicated to a moment that was described in Infinity War because there is one story that really needs to be told.
The Nova Movie Could Finally Show Thanos’ Destruction Of The Nova Corps
At the start of Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos and the Black Order apprehend the ship that is carrying the living Asgardians to Earth. There, they slaughter the Asgardians, including Heimdall and Loki, and claim the Space Stone. Thanos is able to make easy work of heroes like Thor and Hulk due to the fact that he had already obtained the Power Stone, which was left in the possession of the Nova Corps at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy. The film reveals that Thanos had previously gone to Xandar and decimated the planet, destroying the Corps and stealing the Power Stone off-screen.
This is a landmark moment in the MCU, so it’s shocking that it occurred off-screen and hasn’t been explored since. Fans have had many questions about Thanos’ siege of Xandar, but since the Nova Corps haven’t been seen since Guardians, the Black Order presumably wiped them out during their battle. Luckily, answers to these questions may finally be coming. When discussing the Nova movie, Michael Waldron commented on the destruction of the Nova Corps, saying, “They would have to reckon with that…Someone would have to reckon with that.”
While this tease doesn’t give away much, it sets up the idea that Thanos’ off-screen actions will have an impact on the film. The battle may be shown, or it could just be discussed during the events of the film. Either way, though, Nova will finally put one of Thanos’ most violent moments in the spotlight, even if it’s over eight years later.
This Storyline Means Nova Could Wind Up Being One Of The MCU’s Darkest Movies
While a movie about Richard Rider flying through the MCU’s cosmos sounds like it would be fun, Waldron’s tease means that Nova could be one of the MCU’s darkest movies yet. In the comics, Rider is an Earthling selected to be Nova by the last living member of the Nova Corps, which had recently been wiped out. While this story has been changed and reinterpreted multiple times, this is the event that kicks off Rider’s original run, and the story is frequently adapted in new Nova stories.
Since the Nova Corps is destroyed in the MCU, it seems like this is the direction that the MCU’s Nova story could go. Richard Rider could be selected as the last living Nova after Thanos destroys Xandar. This means that Rider could be sent on a mission to avenge the Corps, meaning that he is the “someone” who “would have to reckon with” the destruction of the Nova Corps, as Waldron teased.
If this is the case, Nova may be incredibly dark, especially compared to the lighthearted tone that the Corps were treated with in Guardians of the Galaxy. Rider may be motivated by the countless deaths that Thanos caused and have to deal with the failure of the Corps to stop Thanos’ plan, and rebuild the organization. Rider could uncover the truth about what happened to the organization, and even visit the wasteland that Thanos left on Xandar.
If a flashback of Thanos’ siege on Xandar is shown, it would make things even darker. We may see him slaughter countless members of the organization, including John C. Reilly’s Rhomann Dey and Glenn Close’s Irani Rael. This would undoubtedly be a heavy note to kick the film off with, meaning that the story of Nova may be far heavier than people expect.
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