It’s not what even fans expected.
Related: Report: Disney Recasting Beloved MCU Hero Following Initial Performance
With Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man and Chris Evans’ Captain America having exited the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the franchise has transitioned into a new era known as the Multiverse Saga.
Despite concerns about “superhero fatigue” and the departure of Jonathan Majors, who played Kang the Conqueror, Marvel Studios is poised to reshape the Marvel movie landscape once again.
With Majors no longer part of the studio and Marvel President Kevin Feige contemplating a shift from the Multiverse Saga to a new Mutant Saga featuring X-Men characters, Avengers 5 (previously titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty) is in development, albeit on a smaller scale than previous installments.
Following this will be Avengers 6, officially titled Avengers: Secret Wars, which is expected to conclude the MCU’s Multiverse Saga. Before that, however, the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), AKA Deadpool 3, will integrate the Fox X-Men universe into the MCU.
With so many new superhero teams on the horizon, it appears that Disney and Marvel are ready to introduce yet another new team — after the implementation of the 20th Century Studios (formerly 20th Century Fox) X-Men franchise and the Pedro Pascal (Mister Fantastic/Reed Richards) led The Fantastic Four.
Related: Report: Jordan Peele in Talks With Disney To Lead New Marvel Movie Franchise
An original statement from Brad Winderbaum, Head of Streaming, Television, and Animation at Disney’s Marvel branch, previously indicated that a project set around the Marvel Comics hero Nova (and possibly Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord/Peter Quill) was in the works.
Now, further news has come to light about the character and project, mainly about how this new group might be edging out older players at Marvel Studios.
Who Will Disney Replace With This New Team?
It’s no secret that Disney will have to retire the original crop of six Avengers sooner or later.
Set to lead the new “cosmic-level” sector of the Marvel universe, and considering all these major superhero players joining the fray, Disney and Marvel might have settled on what appears to be Earth’s next crop of defenders (and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes).
According to Marvel and industry insider Daniel Richtman (@DanielRPK) via Marvel Film News, it seems as if Disney has already found their showrunner and actor for their upcoming NOVA project, essentially a spinoff of the Guardians of the Galaxy with offers already going out for the lead role.
It appears that NOVA is set to happen with an “ensemble of young leads” and likely introduce the character of Richard Rider, who wields the Nova Force after the Nova Empire’s destruction in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017):
‘NOVA’ will be about an ensemble of young leads, a showrunner has already been hired and an offer is already out to an actor for the lead role, most likely for Richard Rider
(@DanielRPK)
https://twitter.com/marvelnewsfilms/status/1802069636088840636?s=46&t=S4bfAHtB3ulQCj9viG4edA
Richard Rider, introduced in The Man Called Nova #1 (1976), is a high school student who inherits powers from a dying Nova Corpsman (already seen in previous Guardians films), gaining abilities like flight, super strength, and energy projection.
He plays significant roles in storylines such as Annihilation and The New Warriors. Sam Alexander, introduced in Marvel Point One #1 (2011), discovers his father’s old Nova Corps helmet, gaining similar powers and featuring in series like Nova and Champions.
Could the rumors of Ryan Gosling being pulled into the MCU prove true, having him play opposite Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord? It would certainly get a lot of butts in seats.
Seeing as Nova, who in the Marvel comic book world was either Richard Rider or Sam Alexander at varying points, is key to this MCU NOVA project, the character’s interesting relationship with Peter Quill is likely going to bring Pratt’s Quill (last seen eating cereal over at his grandfather’s place on Earth in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)) back into the picture.
Apart from ties to the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, Nova has connections to the Ultimate Spider-Man series and continuity and is also known for being involved in a love triangle between Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), Nova, and Star-Lord.
Are you excited about the solo Nova MCU project? Who do you think could lead? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
More on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
In the final installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the team embarks on one last adventure through space.
Led by Peter Quill, AKA Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), the gun-toting human and former part-Celestial, the team includes Thanos’ daughters Gamora (Zoe Saldaña) and Nebula (Karen Gillan), the tree alien Groot (Vin Diesel), the lovable yet lethal Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), the vengeful Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), the empathic alien Mantis (Pom Klementieff), the Ravager Kraglin Obfonteri (Sean Gunn), Stakar Ogord (Sylvester Stallone), and newcomer Cosmo the Spacedog (Maria Bakalova).
Fans were introduced to Will Poulter as Adam Warlock and saw the return of Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha, his “mother.” Chukwudi Iwuji portrayed the nefarious geneticist, the High Evolutionary, with Nico Santos playing his assistant, Theel. Daniela Melchior appeared as Ura, and Kai Zen portrayed Phyla-Vell.
The cast also included Linda Cardellini as Lylla the Otter, Asim Chaudhry as Teefs the Walrus, and Mikaela Hoover as Floor the Bunny, all former cellmates and allies of Rocket Raccoon.
The other films in the Guardians of the Galaxy series are Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022).
