Marvel has pulled Nova off Disney+ and handed him to the man writing Secret Wars

Right, so the Guardians of the Galaxy definitely had their moment at the top of the Marvel food chain. After three blockbuster films, nearly $2.5 billion raked in, and James Gunn running the show before heading off to DC, that chapter more or less closed. But behind the scenes, Marvel’s been brewing something in the same corner of the universe: a solo project for cosmic underdog Nova.

Marvel swapped plans for Nova in July 2026 -- ditching the Disney+ series idea in favour of a cinema release.

Cosmic course-correction

For years Nova was meant to have his day via a Disney+ series, but in July 2026, Marvel officially bumped him up to a full-on movie. Key detail here: Michael Waldron, the brain behind Loki and now the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday (hitting later this year), is writing the script. He’s also tackling Avengers: Secret Wars for 2027, so if you’re after cosmic continuity, he’s the bloke to watch.

Now, Waldron’s finally lifted the tiniest bit of the lid in a chat with The Wrap. If you read between the lines (and, let’s face it, you have to), the main man in Nova’s MCU debut will be Richard Rider — the original Nova from the comics, not the later Sam Alexander version.

Waldron’s take: A cryptic love letter

Asked why Nova was the next cosmic leap for Marvel, Waldron didn’t exactly spell it out, but made his affections for the character clear. Here’s what he told The Wrap:

After being pressed on what excites him about Nova, Waldron said: "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 on the cosmic side of the MCU will be really cool."

He also reckons Annihilation (a huge 2006 crossover event in Marvel comics) remains his favourite Rider story, but admits part of Nova's slow journey to the big screen is just Marvel deciding “where do you start that story?” Basically, is Rider kicking about in New York as a totally normal bloke, or are we diving in mid-space? Waldron himself points out the dilemma rather than answering it, which is about as Marvel a move as you’ll get.

There’s another major MCU hurdle here: the Nova Corps already got wiped out over in Avengers: Infinity War. Waldron agrees that’s not something they can just skip over, though he’s cagey on specifics—probably because it’ll be a central part of Nova’s whole journey.

• Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy (2014–2023): $2.5B global box office
• Nova first planned as Disney+ series, then upgraded to movie in July 2026
• Waldron writing, also behind Loki, Avengers: Doomsday (2026), Secret Wars (2027)
• Richard Rider confirmed as film’s main character
• Annihilation story a possible influence
• Nova Corps' destruction in Infinity War to factor in

For now, that’s as much as they’re letting slip—expect Marvel to keep everyone guessing on cast and storyline for a bit longer.