In Marvel Comics, the first Nova is Richard Rider. He is born on Earth but receives remarkable powers from Nova Corps member Rhomann Dey, the Nova Prime who seeks out someone who can take up his mantle upon the destruction of Xandar by the warlord Zorr. One would imagine this backstory would change in the MCU. Irani Rael (Glenn Close) is Nova Prime in “Guardians of the Galaxy,” but Rhomann Dey also appears, played by John C. Reilly. One of them could’ve transferred their powers to Richard Rider before being killed at the hands of Thanos and his Black Order.
Such abilities include the typical superhero standbys, like enhanced strength, superior speed, and flight. However, Nova stands out through his use of energy manipulation, which has manifested in various ways. Through a power vessel known as the Nova Force, he can harness energy coming toward him and redirect it. He can also create forcefields and open hyperspace portals. Another interesting wrinkle in the character’s powerset is his connection to the Xandar Worldmind, which contains all Xandarian knowledge and occasionally provides Nova with advice in the comics.
Nova is an exceptionally powerful superhero, and Richard Rider would be a character worthy of Ryan Gosling’s talents. However, as of this writing, he hasn’t been cast, meaning it’ll likely be some time before a project gets off the ground. In March 2022, it was reported that “Moon Knight” writer Sabir Pirzada was working on something for Nova, so hopefully, more updates materialize soon.
