Kevin Feige finally confirms Nova—and whether it’s headed to cinemas or Disney+

Right, so Marvel bosses have finally stopped faffing about and given a proper answer on what’s happening with Nova in the MCU. After years of speculation, shelving, and rumoured streaming series, we now know: Nova is heading to the big screen as a proper feature film. About time, really.

SDCC Clarity – It’s a Film

All this came out during San Diego Comic-Con, where Kevin Feige himself was cornered by Brandon Davis and pushed for a straight answer. Up till now, Marvel had been tight-lipped, but Feige, never one for flowery language, put it like this:

When asked what Marvel had officially said about Nova, Feige responded, 'Not a damn thing.'

Shortly after, Feige confirmed that Nova is now officially in development as a film — scrapping the Disney+ series plan they’d been toying with a few years back.

The Team: Waldron Steps Up

Marvel has tapped Michael Waldron to handle the script. On top of that, he might end up directing, though they haven’t made anything official on that front yet. Waldron’s hardly a newbie – he wrote Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, ran Loki (the first series at least), and contributed to Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. His production company, Anomaly, also has one of those all-encompassing Disney deals, so he’s got Marvel’s backing for the foreseeable.

• Nova was first introduced in Nova #1 (1976), as part of the Nova Corps, who already showed up in those early Guardians of the Galaxy films.
• The character, aka Richard Rider, comes with the usual comic book powers: super-strength, flight, and the ability to take a proper beating. He’s no stranger to intergalactic scraps, including run-ins with the Skrulls – the same lot from Captain Marvel and Secret Invasion.

Deadline first reported Waldron’s involvement, with further details appearing in the Writers Guild’s official directory confirming Waldron’s name on the project.

This Nova project has bounced around behind the scenes for years. Originally, it was going to be a Disney+ series, written by Moon Knight’s Sabir Pirzada. When Marvel hit pause on streaming stuff in 2025, that idea got mothballed and focus shifted back to a film. Not exactly a smooth road, but that’s Marvel these days.

Who’ll Actually Be Nova?

Waldron himself has thrown out the idea that Glen Powell (you’ll have seen him in all sorts from Top Gun: Maverick onwards) would make a cracking Richard Rider. Casting is obviously ages away, with the script still in early development, and Marvel refusing to say a single word about who might suit up. Don’t expect Nova until after the next big Avengers film anyway.