Marvel Studios Has Finally Given Up On This Long-Gestating TV Series… But There Is Some Good News

It is hard to criticize Marvel Studios for dropping the ball when they are responsible for a $30 billion franchise, the largest ever likely to exist. Yet not every project has had a smooth ride to screens. While Blade’s time in limbo has been well documented, one project that has quietly slipped into obscurity is the Disney+ series, Nova. Now it looks like the project is about to get a complete retooling to kickstart the cosmic hero’s entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

For several years, Nova looked destined to stay in limbo forever. Now the studio has officially moved on from that version of the story, revealing that the TV show will not be moving ahead. That may seem like bad news for fans of the character, but in reality, it appears that Nova will be getting an upgrade to a full-length feature film instead.

According to Deadline, Marvel has finally admitted defeat with the Nova TV show and pivoted the long-gestating project to the big screen, with Michael Waldron attached to write the script and, if the film moves forward, potentially direct. Waldron is no stranger to the MCU, as the creator and showrunner of Loki, a writer on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and a co-writer on the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, making him one of the franchise’s most consistent collaborators.

Nova’s journey has been one of the most tumultuous of any project on the MCU’s “in development” slate. The character was first lined up for a Disney+ series around four years ago with writer Sabir Pirzada, before Criminal Minds veteran Ed Bernero later came aboard as showrunner. Early last year, the project joined Strange Academy and Terror, Inc in seemingly being shelved permanently as Disney pulled back some of its planned Marvel output.

Who is Nova and Do They Deserve a Big Screen Outing?

The story centers on Richard Rider, an ordinary man who is enlisted by the Nova Corps intergalactic police force and given cosmic powers as a result. The Nova Corps was introduced back in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy before its home planet of Xandar was destroyed by Thanos before the events of Infinity War.

While Nova’s story seemed like exactly the kind of project that would work as a Disney+ show – most of which have told side-stories of popular characters or introduced new characters like Ms. Marvel and Wonder Man – it seems that Nova’s big, cosmic story is enough to warrant a coveted place in Marvel’s tight theatrical lineup. 

Many fans have been arguing that Nova deserved a big-screen adventure rather than being contained to a tighter-budgeted streaming series. With Waldron having proven himself several times over, Nova could be the MCU’s replacement for the Guardians of the Galaxy as the franchise’s cosmic arm. Then again, superhero movies that don’t involve the biggest names –  and some that do – have struggled to make back their budgets in cinemas, so there is certainly an element of risk about it.

Nova Could Be Another Armor Wars

This is not the first time Marvel has flipped a potential series into a movie, either. The still-unproduced Armor Wars has flipped and flopped around in the background for years, undergoing the same series-to-movie switch, but has yet to make any kind of headway in either format.

Nova is not the most obscure character in Marvel Comics, but is not really known outside of comic book fans. Of course, this was true of several other heroes in the early years of the MCU, and perhaps the real question is which actor will be big enough to make the role stand out.

Waldron’s involvement has sparked old rumors that Glen Powell is the top choice to play Nova. The pair worked previously on the Hulu comedy, Chad Powers, and Waldron already mentioned Powell when previously asked who he believes would make a good Nova.

Of course, right now, the film is only in its early stages, with no script and no green light. The next few years seem to be very much focused on Secret Wars and the arrival of the X-Men, which could suggest that Nova’s MCU debut will not be for some time yet.

(featured image: Disney)

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