How Nova Can Be MCU Phase 4's Secret New Superhero

Reports are confirming that a Nova project is in the works at Marvel Studios, meaning there is a variety of upcoming Phase 4 projects that could begin laying the groundwork for the character to appear. Nova is a character more closely associated with the cosmic side of Marvel, however, he has been known to work on Earth also. Given this, it is possible Nova could be set up across multiple Phase 4 projects, be it Earthly or in the more cosmic side of the MCU.

Nova is a character from Marvel comics that has had two main iterations, Richard Rider and Samuel Alexander. Rider is a character from New York and was chosen at random by Rhomann Dey to inherit the powers of the Nova Prime from the Nova Corps, an elite military force based on the planet Xandar. Rider then reluctantly took up the mantle of Nova, becoming the cosmic superhero. Alexander, however, received his powers simply by finding his father's Nova helmet with the help of Rocket Raccoon and Gamora. The two heroes trained Samuel on how to use the helmet and the Nova powers that came with it, leading to his origins as Nova.

While it hasn't been disclosed as of yet which version of Nova the MCU will choose to adapt, it is more than possible that the two versions of the character could coexist. The Nova Corps, for instance, is a peacekeeping force of many numbers, meaning a lot of Nova Corps soldiers exist together. So how will both, or either, of these characters be introduced in the MCU? Here is a breakdown of all the potential MCU Phase 4 projects that could lay the groundwork for Nova's future appearances.

Phase 4's Young Avengers Setup Could Continue With Samuel Alexander's Nova

Throughout Phase 4 of the MCU, Marvel Studios have been planting seeds to introduce the Young Avengers, particularly through the use of the Disney+ shows. When concerning the younger variant of Nova, Samuel Alexander, Marvel could use this Young Avengers set-up to introduce another potential member of the team. While Nova was never actually part of the Young Avengers in the comics, he created a team at one point alongside other younger Avengers such as Ms. Marvel and Miles Morales' Spider-Man. As Marvel Studios have been willing to change certain elements of the comics, it isn't out of the realm of possibility for them to make Nova part of the Young Avengers, especially with Disney+'s Ms. Marvel being one of the shows setting up the MCU's Young Avengers roster.

Given both Ms. Marvel's cosmic origins within the MCU and the close relationship between the characters in the comics, it would be possible for Ms. Marvel to begin setting up Samuel as a character, even if the show doesn't depict him becoming Nova, saving that for their future Nova project. Another Disney+ show that could introduce Nova, or at least just the Nova Corps, is Secret Invasion. Given that shows promise to showcase the cosmic side of the MCU, due to the Skrulls being a central part, elements integral to either version of Nova could be introduced in this show. However, given Marvel Studios' tendency to use Disney+ to introduce the Young Avengers so far, all signs point to Samuel Alexander.

Doctor Strange 2 Could Introduce Multiverse Versions Of Nova

Doctor Strange looking tired in the movies

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is scheduled to release in May 2022. Directed by Sam Raimi, and following on from the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, the film will heavily feature the concept of the multiverse, as evident by the title. From the trailer for the film featuring what seems to be Patrick Stewart as Professor X and a slew of other rumors and reports surrounding the film, it is expected to feature a myriad of cameos from across all facets of the Marvel multiverse. With this being the case, it would make sense for a variant of Nova from across the multiverse to be introduced. As shown by the trailer, other cosmic beings from the Marvel multiverse will show up, with fan theories pinning one character as a variant of Captain Marvel.

It is extremely likely that other Marvel universes already feature either version of Nova. With the film reportedly being 148 minutes long, the 4th longest MCU movie, it is safe to say a lot of different facets of the multiverse will be explored, and with lots of cameos rumored, it would be a missed opportunity if Marvel didn't feature some version of Nova to set up their upcoming project featuring this character. Not only would this familiarise the general audience with the character before having a project of his own, but it would be an exciting cameo for hardcore fans to witness.

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Could Lay The Foundations Of Nova's Origins

Avengers Infinity War Nova Xandar Theory

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is arguably the Phase 4 project with the biggest chance to introduce Nova for a few different reasons. The first of these is that the first film in the Guardians trilogy introduced Xandar as a major player in Marvel's cosmic universe. Both Xandar and the Nova Corps were featured heavily in the first Guardians of the Galaxy film, already setting up the Nova Corps as a military faction though slightly different to the version of the Nova Corps housing either Nova from the comics. However, Thanos was said to have attacked Xandar to retrieve the power stone before the events of Avengers: Infinity War. As Thanos's morals, or lack thereof, dictated that he let half of the population of every planet he attacked survive, this was likely the case with Xandar. Given the planet's expected desperate state after this attack, or even during the five-year Endgame Blip, Xandar could've very easily introduced this new version of the Nova Corps, with its soldiers having the power of Nova, to further protect their planet. The Guardians link to Xandar then could see them visit this planet during Guardians 3, planting the seeds of the Nova Corps, and maybe even introducing a version of Nova himself.

Another reason Guardians 3 could introduce Nova is Marvel's production schedule. It was reported before Nova was announced that one of Marvel's unnamed projects was a "space show" in development for Disney+. It is likely this show then, was Nova. However, it is interesting to note that this show was put into production recently, with Guardians 3 currently shooting. Given James Gunn's comments that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 would set up the cosmic future of the MCU in Phase 4, this show may have been in development for a while, simply waiting for Guardians 3 to officially be released. The timing then of the show being announced to start development, and confirmation a Nova project is on the way, only a year before the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 seems like no accident. This only supports the theory that Guardians 3 will return to Xandar and reintroduce the Nova Corps, fulfilling Gunn's initial wish of setting up the cosmic future of the MCU through the use of Nova.

While it is very early to think of where Nova will appear in the MCU, it isn't unlikely that the seeds for this cosmic hero will be planted throughout Phase 4. Whether it be Samuel Alexander being introduced on Disney+ for the Young Avengers, Richard Rider through Rhomann Dey who is already in the MCU, or possibly both, Marvel Studios have almost endless possibilities to introduce this character going deeper into Phase 4 and beyond. If it is true that Marvel will be leaning heavier into its cosmic elements after the era of the multiverse, there is no better character to use to usher in this new era than Nova, and only time will tell when the cosmic hero will be introduced.

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