For years, we’ve heard that Marvel was working on a Nova project for the MCU. Some rumors said the character would debut in big crossovers like Avengers: Endgame, but that never happened. We’re now in the middle of the MCU Phase 4, and Marvel unveiled plenty of projects from Phases 5 and 6. But there’s still no Nova on Marvel’s schedule.
A new report says that Marvel has finally landed on how to introduce Nova, and the hero will reportedly arrive in an upcoming Special Presentation.
What are Marvel’s Special Presentations?
Until earlier this month, Marvel’s MCU had two formats. First up are the movies that premiere in theaters and generate billions of dollars.
Then we have the Disney Plus shows. Their purpose is to add more context to the MCU and introduce new heroes and villains. But they also enrich Disney’s coffers by keeping Disney Plus users subscribed. As a reminder, Disney doesn’t release an entire MCU season at once. Instead, you have to tune in every week for the next episode.
The Special Presentations are a new breed of Marvel entertainment. They’re not full-fledged movies, so they don’t make it to theaters. They’re also not TV shows, but they launch on Disney Plus. Werewolf by Night was the first Special Presentation. And more will follow in the future, including a Nova show.
Nova’s release date on Disney Plus
Rumors in March suggested that Marvel greenlit a Nova movie. Sabir Pirzada, who worked on Moon Knight, is reportedly attached to write, but The Cosmic Circus claims that Marvel has decided to turn the movie into another Special Presentation.
That’s all we know about the untitled Nova project. There’s no director, and we don’t know which Nova will appear in the MCU. Similarly, we have no idea who will play the titular character.
But The Cosmic Circus notes that what appears to get clearer is Nova’s path to audiences. The project will premiere on Disney Plus, but there’s no release date.
With that in mind, the Special Presentation feature makes sense for a character as important as Nova. We then could see Nova in other crossovers in the Multiverse Saga.
Recent reports said that Marvel wanted more Special Presentations for the MCU. Whether Nova is one of them, it’s likely we’ll see other characters get the Werewolf by Night treatment.
Adding Special Presentations to Marvel’s expanding MCU allows the studio to move faster to production with certain shows, while also improving the overall quality of the story. Moreover, we could see popular characters in other movies and shows immediately after their debut. Not to mention that some big-name actors might be more interested in shooting shorter movies than TV shows.
What Nova story will Marvel tell?
While nothing is certain, The Cosmic Circus speculates that Marvel’s Nova will not be an origin story, given Marvel’s interest in making it a Special Presentation. Moreover, Marvel might want to feature both Richard Rider and Sam Alexander.
The blog speculates that Marvel might use the 2013 Nova Run for inspiration:
The story could have Sam searching for his father, Jesse Alexander, a member of the Nova Corp who has gone missing. On the way, he encounters another decorated member of the Nova Corp, Richard Rider, who was also searching for his father, along with his Nova helmet. As Sam finds it, the special can develop into a mentor-trainee story where Richard teaches Sam how to use the helmet, just in time to fight against an incoming alien threat.
Following the climactic battle, the special can end with Richard letting Sam keep the helmet so he can uphold his father’s legacy. This would allow Sam to remain on Earth with his newly found cosmic powers and have Richard promptly return to the cosmos until Marvel Studios needs them again. This special would also fast-track Marvel’s theme of introducing the next generation of heroes already established within the MCU while still keeping both heroes active for the time being.
This is just speculation at this time, however. That said, Nova fans should be thrilled to hear the hero is getting close to an official MCU debut.
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