Marvel’s Nova: The Epic Movie We Deserve, Not a Disney+ Series!

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Recently, reports surfaced that Marvel Studios is seriously rethinking its Disney+ strategy. Marvel “paused” the in-development Nova series, which sounds like a nicer word for “canceled.” (At least, canceled for now.) Marvel also shelved the proposed Strange Academy and Terror, Inc. series. Meanwhile, the focus will be less on series with movie budgets, like Loki or Moon Knight, and more on shows like Daredevil. Disney+ wants its series designed to run multiple seasons and feel more like television, not a feature film broken up into six episodes. This is a solid course correction. However, Marvel should reconfigure Nova in particular to what it should have always been—a big-budget, sci-fi spectacle film.

Back in the ’70s, I stumbled upon a cosmic Marvel hero named Nova, a character that might be new to some of you. Created by Marv Wolfman, the man behind the New Teen Titans and Blade, along with John Buscema, a legendary artist, this hero started out as Richard Rider, an ordinary middle-class teenager from New York City.

Suddenly bestowed with the duty and power of being the last member of the Interstellar Nova Corps, Richard found himself equipped with a StarCorps suit that allowed him to traverse space, fire energy blasts, and exhibit some degree of super strength. This Corps hailed from the planet Xandar, a name familiar to fans of Guardians of the Galaxy.

Now, you might think it’s like a blend between Spider-Man and Green Lantern, or find his helmet a bit quirky. But there was something about Nova that just worked. Despite its oddities, it became an intriguing character in the Marvel universe.

In 1976, Richard Rider first appeared in the comic book titled “The Man Called Nova” #1, and his series spanned 25 issues. Following the conclusion of his original series, Nova, often referred to as the “Human Rocket”, faded into relative obscurity for a decade. However, he later became a central character in Marvel’s team book, “The New Warriors,” in 1989, which led to several more series over the subsequent years. Nova played a significant part in the successful “Annihilation” event during the 2000s. In 2007, a new young character named Sam Alexander took on the role of Nova. Despite not reaching the popularity of other Marvel heroes, Nova continues to offer intriguing potential, particularly for live-action films.

Intriguingly, it was speculated that an aborted Disney+ series would’ve delved into the aftermath of Thanos’ devastation of Xandar, a destruction subtly hinted at in “Infinity War” but never fully portrayed on screen. With Xandar in ruins, the Nova Corps would have been tasked with its reconstruction. Earthling Richard Rider was rumored to be enlisted for the mission to revitalize a fresh team of Novas. The atmosphere was said to resemble “Top Gun” set against the cosmos, with John C. Reilly and Glenn Close slated to reprise their roles as esteemed members of the Nova Corps. In the comics, it was John C. Reilly’s character, Rhomann Dey, who bestowed the Nova title upon Richard Rider. Together, this dynamic duo would have faced the imminent threat of Annihilus and his Annihilation Wave from the Negative Zone. Annihilus, one of Marvel Comics’ last formidable villains yet to make a live-action debut, was expected to pose a significant challenge for our heroes.

This idea seems incredibly grandiose, often described as exceptionally epic. However, it might be too grand to be effectively portrayed in a streaming series. Could it be that a feature film is more suitable for this concept? With an ample budget, they could truly delve into full-fledged sci-fi fantasy realms. Given the closure of the cosmic side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe after Guardians of the Galaxy, something akin to Nova is needed to fill that void. A fitting actor for Richard Rider and a director with a unique style could make this character resonate with audiences, even if they are not familiar with him.

As a die-hard movie enthusiast, I can’t help but reflect on the strategic decisions Marvel Studios made when crafting this franchise for Disney+ instead of the silver screen. It’s true that properties like Iron Man and Thor are household names. Yet, let’s not forget that Guardians of the Galaxy was relatively unknown in 2014, and look how successful it became. Granted, Nova might not resonate with audiences on a massive scale like Eternals did. However, if Marvel continues to play it safe, they’ll simply be churning out sequels to the Infinity Saga heroes indefinitely.

Placing Nova on Disney+ could have been the safer choice, but perhaps the era of playing it safe has passed us by. This character deserves his moment in the limelight, and a feature film seems fitting to truly showcase his potential. Marvel Studios just needs to take that leap of faith and bring Nova’s story to life on the big screen.

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2025-02-26 19:33