Nova Writer Confirms Major MCU Storyline the Marvel Movie Will Have to Address After 8 Years

Earlier this summer, Marvel Studios finally confirmed that a character some fans have been waiting to see in the MCU was on his way, with a Nova movie officially in development. Details about the film itself remain pretty scant as of this writing, but we know that in addition to being a feature, Nova will be written by Loki creator Michael Waldron. Though all the Marvel movies set to debut in 2028 have already been confirmed, it remains to be seen when this iconic cosmic hero will make his way to the big screen, but anticipation remains high.

Despite no clear indicator about when the Nova movie will be released, Waldron is knee-deep in developing it. Speaking with TheWrap, the writer was quick to note that “however” the team decides to expand the MCU’s cosmic side “will be really cool.” Waldron also hinted at why a Nova solo movie has taken so long to get made in the MCU, noting that the character’s extensive history and the many eras he’s occupied have created so much material that it became hard to choose. Even more interesting than that, though, was Waldron offering a potential hint of the movie’s plot, as it would have to address a major plot point from Avengers: Infinity War.

Nova Writer Teases Movie Will Address Infinity War’s Off-Screen Destruction

As Marvel fans know, the Nova Corps previously made an appearance in the MCU, with multiple characters in James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy being confirmed members of the Corps. That film didn’t introduce Richard Rider, but featured John C. Reilly as Rhomann Dey, Peter Serafinowicz as Garthan Saal, and Glenn Close as Nova Prime, their time in the MCU was short-lived. Not only did they not return for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but they were effectively killed off-screen ahead of Avengers: Infinity War.

Fans picked up on this because at the start of that movie Thanos already has the Power Stone in his possession, and the last time that it was seen was with the Nova Corps in Guardians of the Galaxy. It remains one of the biggest untold stories in the Marvel Cinematic Universe even years later, and when asked if this plot thread might influence the Nova movie, Waldron teased: “They would have to reckon with that…Someone would have to reckon with that.”

To that end, this may be where the Nova movie could begin, not only revealing what happened to the Nova Corps with Thanos’ coming after the Power Stone, but the immediate aftermath of their decimation. It’s easy to see how a Nova movie could use this as its launching pad, especially if Richard Rider is forced to rebuild them on his own.

“The character spans a lot of generations,” Waldron said about Nova. “And I think maybe that’s why it’s taken some time to get him to the screen, is figuring out, where do you start that story? Do you start him on Earth? Do you start in space, as part of the Nova Corps? Whoever does it, I hope they do a good job.”

7 Greatest Nova Corps Members, Ranked By Power