During Disney’s upfront presentation to advertisers, Marvel Studios brass confirmed a more curated television approach moving forward, aiming to release fewer series annually, specifically targeting one or two live-action shows per year. This strategic pivot is designed to enhance connectivity across the MCU and alleviate any sense of “homework” for viewers, ensuring each project feels essential and engaging on its own merits while still contributing to the grander narrative. Alongside this broader vision, Marvel Television announced that Daredevil: Born Again, starring Charlie Cox as the Man Without Fear, will officially be an ongoing series, with Season 3 currently being planned. Furthermore, the much-anticipated return of Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones was confirmed for a second season of Daredevil: Born Again, signaling Marvel Studios’ commitment to its street-level characters. With Daredevil locking down serialized storytelling, fans might wonder: What will fill that other potential ongoing live-action slot in the MCU calendar?
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Making Daredevil: Born Again an ongoing series is a brilliant move for the MCU’s televised branch. The series’ gritty New York City setting is a natural nexus for other street-level heroes and even some earth-bound Avengers to weave in and out of key storylines. This positions Daredevil: Born Again to become the MCU’s premier Earth-based live-action anchor, adeptly filling in the narrative gaps between the blockbuster cinematic releases and showcasing the evolving state of the world at ground level. It can explore the immediate aftermath of global events or the simmering threats that don’t necessarily require a full Avengers roster.
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Following this logic, the MCU desperately needs a cosmic equivalent, a show that can perform a similar function for the heroes, villains, and sprawling storylines unfolding in the vastness of outer space. With only one slot open for another ongoing live-action MCU show, a Nova television is the perfect and, quite frankly, most necessary candidate to complement Daredevil’s terrestrial tales and truly round out Marvel’s new television strategy. Plus, fans are long overdue for Nova’s MCU debut.
The Long and Winding Road for a Nova MCU Project
Reports of a Nova adaptation, focusing on the character Richard Rider, first surfaced in March 2022, when Sabir Pirzada, known for his work on Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel, was reportedly tapped to develop the project. This initial spark immediately ignited fans’ excitement, as Nova represents a cornerstone of Marvel’s cosmic lore, a character whose introduction has been eagerly awaited since the Nova Corps played a significant role in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. In addition, there was the potential for a series to explore the aftermath of Xandar’s destruction by Thanos (Josh Brolin) and Richard Rider’s transformation into the Human Rocket.
The path for Nova took another turn in late 2024 when it was reported that Ed Bernero, creator of Third Watch and former showrunner for Criminal Minds, had taken over as head writer and showrunner. Given Bernero’s extensive experience with dramatic television, this news suggested a renewed push and a more grounded, character-driven approach. Despite these developments, the Nova series and other projects like Strange Academy and Terror, Inc. were paused or shelved indefinitely in February 2025.
This decision was framed as part of Marvel Television’s broader strategic shift, a move towards developing a wider slate of potential projects than would ultimately be produced, allowing the studio to be more selective and focus on quality and timing. Brad Winderbaum, Marvel Studios’ Head of Streaming, Television, and Animation, even commented that while the material for Nova might be great, the timing might have been wrong, emphasizing a desire to only make things that can sustain multiple seasons. Now, with a clearer television strategy involving a limited number of ongoing series, that “right time” for Nova might have finally arrived.
Why Nova is the Perfect Cosmic Anchor for the MCU on TV
With Daredevil: Born Again set to explore the shadows of the MCU’s street-level conflicts, a Nova series is the ideal candidate to illuminate its cosmic frontiers, providing a distinct narrative purpose within Marvel Studios’ new television model. A television series, rather than a two-hour film, offers the expansive canvas necessary to properly introduce Richard Rider, explore his origins, and delve into the responsibilities and burdens of being the last Centurion of a decimated Nova Corps. This extended format allows for deeper character development, letting audiences truly connect with Rider’s journey from ordinary human to intergalactic protector, something that often gets truncated in the packed narratives of feature films.
Furthermore, launching a Nova series presents a strategic advantage in casting and universe-building. Instead of relying on an already established, and likely expensive, movie star to lead a new TV show, Marvel Studios has the opportunity to cast a fresh face who can grow with the role and become synonymous with Nova for years. This approach manages budgets more effectively for a serialized format and injects new energy into the MCU. The Nova series would also be thematically distinct from Daredevil’s grounded crime narratives, focusing on exploration, interstellar threats, and the unique challenges of policing the spaceways, thus justifying its existence as the second pillar of Marvel’s live-action TV strategy.
More importantly, a Nova ongoing series can serve as the MCU cosmic connective tissue in the same way Daredevil: Born Again will for Earth. In specific episodes, Nova could encounter remnants of the Ravagers, have a run-in with cosmic entities, or even check on how Rocket Raccoon’s (voiced by Bradley Cooper) iteration of the Guardians of the Galaxy is faring in their new roles. These appearances could offer meaningful glimpses into the wider cosmic MCU, enriching the universe without demanding viewers watch every single property to understand a central plot. The cosmic side of the MCU is vast and ripe with storytelling potential, and a dedicated ongoing Nova series is the best way to give it the in-depth attention it truly warrants.Would you like the MCU to pursue a Nova series? What other show could fill the open slot in Marvel Television’s live-action strategy? Join the discussion in the comments!
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