MOVIE NEWS – Marvel Studios has revived Nova in a very different form after previously developing the character’s story for Disney+. The long-delayed project is now being shaped as a theatrical release, with Loki creator Michael Waldron attached to write and possibly take on a larger creative role.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is approaching another major turning point. Following a lengthy pause between theatrical releases, the franchise is preparing to return with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, while anticipation is also building around the first look at Avengers: Doomsday. Although Marvel Studios is still focused on bringing the Multiverse Saga to its conclusion, the company must simultaneously decide what audiences will see after Avengers: Secret Wars reaches cinemas in 2027. One character who spent years caught in development limbo may now become part of that future, with plans for a theatrical project being assembled around one of Marvel’s best-known cosmic heroes.

Michael Waldron is writing a Nova movie for Marvel Studios, according to Deadline. His previous work for the company includes creating the Disney+ series Loki, scripting Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and contributing to Avengers: Doomsday as a co-writer. Development has only recently begun, so Waldron is currently connected to the project as its screenwriter rather than its director. That could change later, however, as the possibility of him directing has reportedly not been ruled out. Neither Disney nor Waldron has issued an official statement about the film.

Marvel’s first public plans for Nova emerged in 2023, when the character was expected to headline a Disney+ series written by Sabir Pirzada. The project was subsequently paused in 2025 alongside possible productions such as Strange Academy and Terror Inc., as Marvel Studios reconsidered the size and direction of its upcoming slate. Turning Nova into a movie would place it in the same unusual category as Armor Wars, another MCU property that began as a television project before being redesigned for theaters. Rumors of Waldron’s involvement surfaced at the beginning of July after a leaked WGA document included Nova among his listed projects.

The foundations for Nova have existed within the MCU for more than a decade. Guardians of the Galaxy introduced both Xandar and the Nova Corps in 2014, while Avengers: Infinity War later revealed that Thanos had already devastated the planet and its defenders before the events shown in the film. That destruction could provide the starting point for Richard Rider, the best-known incarnation of Nova in Marvel Comics. Created by Marv Wolfman and John Romita Sr., Rider made his first appearance in The Man Called Nova #1 in 1976. The character began as a teenager who inherited the powers and equipment of an intergalactic peacekeeper, later becoming closely associated with teams including the New Warriors, the Secret Avengers, and the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Should the film advance into production, Nova would join X-Men and Black Panther 3 among Marvel Studios’ known projects set beyond Secret Wars. Fans have already begun calling that next period the Mutant Saga, even though Marvel has disclosed very little about its broader plans for Phase Seven. Richard Rider could occupy a younger-hero role within the franchise now that Tom Holland’s Peter Parker has moved beyond his high-school years. His cosmic background would also offer several natural links to future X-Men stories, particularly those involving the Brood, the Shi’ar Empire, or eventually the Phoenix Force.

Source: MovieWeb