The Marvel Cinematic Universe has brought plenty of iconic heroes to the screen, including Tom Holland‘s take on Spider-Man and a new version of The Fantastic Four. It’s also made superstars out of lesser known heroes like the Guardians of the Galaxy. However, a fan-favorite hero is finally set to make his debut in the MCU. New reports indicate that Lokishowrunner Michael Waldronwill be penning a Nova movie, bringing the space-faring hero to the silver screen. Fans have wanted to see Nova ever since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1, and now their dreams might finally be coming true.
Before it was meant to be a movie, Nova was originally developed as a television series for Disney+. Following the release of Captain America: Brave New World, Marvel Television put Nova and other series in stasis while it figured out its next steps forward. It’s not surprising that Nova could be restructured into a movie. Avengers: Doomsday, which Waldron is co-writing, and Avengers: Secret Wars have been teased as bringing a new chapter to the MCU, and Nova would be the type of character that could be a perfect fit for that new chapter. However, there’s a major issue that Marvel Television should address.
Previous MCU Shows Faced Pacing Problems, and ‘Nova’ Might Run Into the Same Issue
The goal of the Marvel Studios shows on Disney+ was twofold: provide the streamer with a draw for new subscribers, and expanding the Marvel Cinematic Universe past movies. However, this plan ran into a snag as most of the early series dealt with pacing problems. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier took six episodes to show Sam Wilson accepting the mantle of Captain America, while Avengers: Endgame settled it in a single scene. Secret Invasionfumbled what could have been a sci-fi-fueled spy thriller with glacial pacing and nonsensical plot twists. Even movies were affected by this, with Thunderbolts*being a key example as it follows on plot points from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier alongside three different MCU entries. As
Nova faces a reverse problem, as it was originally developed as a television series before pivoting to a movie. That means that the pacing could be potentially rushed, or the story might not fit the big screen. A non-Marvel example of this lies in Moana 2, which was originally developed as a Disney+ series before pivoting to the big screen. There’s still some hope, as Waldron helped develop what many consider to be one of the best Marvel series with Loki and penned Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. He clearly has the experience, so hopefully he’ll get all the time he needs to make something worthy of a big screen experience.
Collider Exclusive · Marvel Personality Quiz Which MCU Hero Are You? Spider-Man · Daredevil · Iron Man · Punisher · Thor · Cap
Six heroes. One destiny. Answer 10 questions to discover which Marvel Cinematic Universe hero shares your personality, values, and fighting spirit. Will you swing, fly, or thunder your way to glory?
🕷️Spider-Man
😈Daredevil
🤖Iron Man
💀Punisher
⚡Thor
🛡️Cap
01
What drives you to do what’s right? Choose the answer that feels most like you.
02
It’s 2 AM. Where are you? Your answer says more about you than you’d think.
03
How do you handle a villain who keeps escaping justice? Every hero has a method. What’s yours?
04
How do you feel about keeping a secret identity? The mask — or the lack of one — says everything.
05
You’ve lost someone important because of your heroism. How do you carry that? Every hero pays a price. The question is how they pay it.
06
What’s your role when working with a team? Who you are under pressure is who you actually are.
07
Where do you draw the line between justice and revenge? The answer defines what kind of hero you really are.
08
When you’re not saving the world, what does life look like? The person behind the mask is always the more interesting story.
09
What keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.
10
The battle is lost. You’re outnumbered, outgunned, and exhausted. What do you do? This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.
Your Hero Has Been Identified Your MCU Hero Is…
Based on your answers, the Marvel hero who matches your spirit, values, and instincts has been revealed.
Queens, New York
🕷️ Spider-Man
You carry the weight of the world on shoulders that are younger than they should have to be — funny, loyal, and endlessly self-sacrificing.
You do the right thing not because it’s easy, but because no one else will.
You understand that responsibility isn’t a burden you choose — it’s one that finds you.
Whether it’s a neighbourhood mugging or a multiverse crisis, you show up.
Peter Parker’s lesson — that great power demands great responsibility — isn’t a slogan to you. It’s the code you live by, even when it costs you everything.
Hell’s Kitchen, New York
😈 Daredevil
You fight in the shadows between law and chaos, guided by a fierce moral compass that refuses to let the guilty walk free.
You use every tool available — your mind, your body, your faith — to protect those the system overlooks.
You’ve looked into the darkness and chosen not to become it, though the line has never been easy.
Matt Murdock’s duality — champion in the courtroom, devil in the alley — mirrors your own.
Relentless, conflicted, and unwilling to stop. That is exactly you.
Stark Industries, Malibu
🤖 Iron Man
Brilliant, driven, and occasionally insufferable — but always the person who solves the unsolvable problem.
You lead with your mind and back it up with resources, innovation, and a stubbornness that borders on heroic.
You started out looking out for yourself, but somewhere along the way the world became your responsibility.
Tony Stark’s arc — from ego to sacrifice — is your arc too.
You build, you plan, and when the moment comes, you’re willing to give everything. Because in the end, you’re Iron Man.
New York City
💀 The Punisher
You’ve been through fire that would break most people — and it did change you, completely. What’s left is unyielding, relentless, and operating by a code forged in grief.
You don’t ask for forgiveness, and you don’t expect gratitude.
You see a corrupt, broken world and you’ve decided to do something about it, consequences be damned.
Frank Castle’s war is born from love twisted by loss — and so is yours.
Uncompromising and unflinching — the world may not agree with your methods, but your conviction is absolute.
Asgard · Protector of the Nine Realms
⚡ Thor
Powerful, proud, and on a lifelong journey to become worthy of the legend you carry.
You lead with strength but have learned — sometimes painfully — that true greatness comes from humility and growth.
You’re larger than life, yet more vulnerable than you let on.
Thor’s story is one of transformation: from arrogant prince to worthy king, from isolated warrior to beloved protector.
You bring the storm when it’s needed — and the warmth when it matters just as much.
Brooklyn, New York · The Avengers
🛡️ Captain America
You believe in something bigger than yourself — and you fight for it even when the world has moved on and nobody else will.
You don’t bully the small guy, and you never stop when it gets hard.
Steve Rogers didn’t become a hero when he got the serum — he was always one. So were you.
Your strength isn’t in your fists; it’s in your refusal to compromise what’s right, no matter the cost.
In a world full of people taking the easy road, you’re the one who picks up the shield and stands up — every single time.
There’s One Comic Book Storyline a ‘Nova’ Movie Should Adapt
Nova and Drax fighting aliens in Marvel ComicsImage via Marvel Comics
If Nova is going to get his own movie, there’s actually one beloved comic book storyline that would be the perfect fit for such a project. Annihilationfeatures most of Marvel’s cosmic heroes banding together to fight the Annihilation Wave, a massive fleet of starships led by the ruler of the Negative Zone, Annihilus. One of the most significant developments in Annihilation sees the Annihilation Wave wiping out the Nova Corps, leaving Richard Rider as the sole survivor. This story also had a major impact on Avengers: Infinity War, with Thanos wiping out Xandar and the Nova Corps. Infinity War screenwriter Christopher Markus would later confirm that Richard Rider almost made it into Infinity War.
“We actually had, I remember in the big manifesto thing that we did, where the first work we did on these movies where we just… every possible storyline that you could take from what’s around, that Nova has the Xandarian Worldmind…In this conception, he would be the herald, not unlike the Hulk, who was actually standing in for the Silver Surfer, but that one member of the Nova Corps survived Thanos’ attack.”
With the new Nova movie, Michael Waldron finally has the chance to adapt Richard Rider’s journey into becoming one of the greatest heroes in Marvel’s cosmic universe. Time will tell if a movie is the right format for Nova’s story, but hopefully Marvel Studios has learned from its past stumbles and can deliver something worth watching on the big screen.
