Kevin Feige reveals when the MCU Nova series is expected

Although Disney CEO Bob Iger previously said that the Marvel Cinematic Universe will lean on its more established characters in the near future, that doesn’t mean new heroes will fall by the wayside. One of those characters set to make their way into the MCU is cosmic hero Nova, and thanks to Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige, audiences now have an idea of ​​when they’ll see him take off.

Nova takes off

Brad Winderbaum, head of streaming, animation and television at Marvel Studios, previously confirmed that Nova was in development and would likely join the MCU with his own Disney Plus series. Feige confirmed this in an interview with ComicBook.com and even gave a rough estimate of when fans can expect Nova.

“It’s happening, it’s taking shape,” Feige told the website. “It’s still three or four years away.”

The schedule presented by Feige would potentially place Nova in Phase Six of the MCU or even Phase Seven, depending on whether or not release dates are changed for previously announced projects. As of July 2024, the only confirmed projects for Phase Six are The Fantastic Four, Blade, Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars.

In particular, Secret Wars is the only film announced for 2027, which Feige said would be the earliest Nova could appear.

Another update Feige provided on the series was confirmation that Marvel Studios would introduce the Richard Ryder iteration of Nova into the MCU.

Previous comments from Winderbaum were coy about which version of Nova might appear in the MCU, leading to speculation among fans that the newer version of Nova, Sam Alexander, might be introduced into the universe. Speculation only intensified after one of The Marvels’ post-credit scenes dropped the first hint about the formation of the Young Avengers.

Join the Corps

Richard Ryder made his Marvel Comics debut in the first issue of The Man Called Nova in September 1976. He was introduced to readers as a high school student in New York City when he encountered the dying Rhomann Dey, a member of the Nova Corps. Dey eventually gives Ryder his suit and powers, granting him the powers of a Nova Corps Centurion.

Ryder split his time in the years that followed between Earth and helping the Nova Corps end conflicts across the galaxy. He also served as a member of various groups, including the New Warriors, Defenders, Secret Avengers, and Guardians of the Galaxy.

While Ryder is still a few years away from appearing in the MCU, the Nova Corps have already been introduced to audiences. The intergalactic peacekeeping force made its first and only physical appearance in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, with the titular team helping the Nova Corps and the Ravagers battle the forces of Ronan the Accuser in the film’s climactic final battle. The film ends with the Corps taking possession of the Power Stone for safekeeping, although it is implied in later films that Thanos decimated the Nova Corps in his hunt for the Infinity Stones.