Marvel's Nova Movie May Bring Back Thanos, According to Hints From Writer Michael Waldron

Several live-action projects were in various stages of pre-production at Marvel Studios for Disney Plus, but amid a shake-up at Marvel Television and a bigger push toward animation, a lot of those shows got canceled. There have even been reports suggesting Marvel Studios may be moving away from live-action television entirely, largely because those shows don't lead to subscriptions.

Even so, rumors from industry insiders described as trusted suggest live-action isn't completely done, it's just that some upcoming projects won't be built around the biggest movie characters. Nova was one of the shows in that pipeline, and Kevin Feige has confirmed it has now been turned into a movie rather than a series.

The writer on the Nova television show, Michael Waldron, is presumably continuing to write the film given his history on the project. Waldron has been a mainstay of Marvel's Multiverse Saga, having worked on Avengers Secret Wars, Kang Dynasty, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and has been consulting on Avengers Doomsday and Secret Wars.

Michael Waldron Gets Coy About Nova With The Wrap

In a new interview with The Wrap, Waldron was asked point blank what drew him to Nova and what excites him about the character. He replied, "I don't know if I can say anything about anything I'm doing with Marvel, but I will say I love Nova. I love Rich Rider. However we expand the cosmic side of the MCU to you will be really cool."

Asked if he had a favorite Richard Rider story, with the interviewer volunteering, "Mine's Annihilation, which I think is just incredible," Waldron responded, "Annihilation is, I mean, I guess that's the go-to, right? But the character spans a lot of generations, and I think maybe that's why it's taken some time to get him to the screen. It's figuring out where do you start that story? Do you start him on Earth? Do you start him in space as part of the Nova Corps? Whoever does it, I hope they do a good job."

That last line, referring to whoever ends up playing or directing the character, is Waldron not letting on that he's still writing the project, though it remains the obvious assumption since he started on the television script.

Why The Nova Corps Wipeout In Infinity War Has To Be Addressed

The Wrap pointed out that the Nova Corps was essentially wiped out in Avengers: Infinity War, so any Nova story would have to reckon with that. Waldron responded, "They would have to reckon with that, yeah." Pressed further, he added, "Yeah, someone would have to reckon with that."

Waldron is being deliberately coy here, insisting he can't talk about what he's doing with Marvel because of secrecy, but between Feige confirming Nova is now a movie and Waldron's own history writing the television version, it's a fair assumption he's still attached. His answer about "someone" reckoning with the wipeout reads as confirmation that the film will deal with Thanos taking the Power Stone from Xandar at the start of Infinity War.

That lines up with where Richard Rider's story should start in the comics, granted the power of Nova on the extinction of the Nova Corps. The MCU has effectively set that up already, and Waldron's answer about figuring out where to begin his story, on Earth or in space as part of the Corps, suggests the writers are still working through exactly that question.

Could Josh Brolin's Thanos Return For Xandar

I'm 50/50 on whether Josh Brolin comes back as Thanos for anything tied to Avengers Secret Wars or Doomsday. Brolin has hinted in interviews that if the Russos or Marvel reached out, or maybe already have, and it's the right story or moment, he'd be interested. That's not a confirmation, just Brolin leaving the door open.

I don't think Brolin would come back simply so God Emperor Doom can rip his spine out in the moment from the Secret Wars comics, since Doom could do that to a different character entirely. If we do see Brolin's Thanos again, my theory is it would be for the decimation of Xandar specifically.

That's part of why Infinity War skipped showing it, starting the film with Thanos already holding the Power Stone. Marvel now has a chance to go back and show exactly what happened in that aftermath. There would still need to be some explanation for why Richard Rider hasn't shown up as Nova at any point since Infinity War, which may be part of what's holding the story back, but the action sequence tying directly into that established moment would fit well.

Henry Cavill's Annihilus Rumors And An Expanding Cosmic Side

Back when Nova was still planned as a television show, Henry Cavill was heavily rumored to be playing the villain Annihilus. Separately, there have been rumors about Cavill signing on as Magneto, which have been covered before, though a reputable source naming him in that role is still being waited on.

I wouldn't be surprised if Annihilus is still on the table as a major villain for the upcoming cosmic saga, and Waldron's comment about expanding the cosmic side of the MCU alludes to that possibility as well. Industry insiders described as trusted, including Cosmic Circus, have suggested the next saga won't just be built around mutants and Earth-based stories, and that the cosmic side will expand too.

Nova As The MCU's Next Cosmic Anchor

To me, Nova is the clear successor where Captain Marvel and Guardians of the Galaxy served as the original conduit into the cosmic side of the MCU. Richard Rider can be the character who forges that next chapter of the cosmic universe going forward.

I also wouldn't be totally surprised if Captain Marvel ends up decommissioned or out of commission for a while, since there's apparently a rogue about to enter the MCU, a character who in the comics is responsible for putting Captain Marvel into a coma and draining some of her base powers.

I'm genuinely excited for Nova to join the MCU. Done correctly, it could be one of the biggest upcoming movies and open up a whole side of the franchise still largely unexplored. The X-Men overlap with space reasonably well, but there are still characters like Norrin Radd, the Silver Surfer, Gladiator, and the Shi'ar Empire whose storylines haven't been touched yet.

The interviewer mentioned Annihilation as one of Rider's most famous stories, but I'm still hoping to eventually see an Annihilators team in the MCU featuring Gladiator, Beta Ray Bill, and the Silver Surfer, with Nova fitting in nicely alongside them.

How hyped are you for Nova, and who should play Richard Rider?