Nicole Perlman had originally planned for Nova to lead James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy, but they opted for a more rebellious character. Quill’s mixtape was her brainchild, but it didn’t sit well with the Marvel Creative Committee (MCC). Apart from that, they didn’t provide much input, as they were convinced that GOTG would flop, giving them the opportunity to control Feige.
James Gunn, the director of Guardians of the Galaxy, explains his reasons for omitting Richard Rider, also known as Nova, from the initial lineup of the Marvel Cinematic Universe team.
Also Read: “Screw it”: James Gunn Vows to Not Make Same Mistake Both Zack Snyder and MCU are Guilty of
James Gunn Explains Why Nova Didn’t Lead GOTG
During his appearance on the Phase Zero podcast, James Gunn elaborated that, despite Nova’s rich history with the celebrated team, incorporating him wouldn’t have aligned with the movie’s overall style. James Gunn expressed that the character in question possessed an immense presence that seemed overwhelming. He had reservations about incorporating this character, particularly due to the initial decision not to include two human characters when he joined the production of Guardians.
Gunn said (via CBR):
“He’s just too big of a character and he seemed too. I didn’t want to. From the beginning, when I came on board Guardians, I didn’t want to have two human beings.”
The focal narrative of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies revolves around Peter Quill, also known as Star-Lord, who was taken from Earth during his childhood by the Ravagers. James Gunn explained his intention to include one human character to contrast with the alien environment, only to realize gradually that each character represented the sole of their kind, making them the only human in their own unique perspective.
Due to the significant involvement of the Nova Corps. in the initial Guardians of the Galaxy film, numerous fans speculated about the potential appearance of Nova in a forthcoming MCU release. As of now, the character Richard Rider has not yet made an appearance in the expansive superhero franchise.
James Gunn Never Wanted Thor In GOTG 3
During an April interview with Rolling Stone, director James Gunn revealed that he was tasked with directing a third installment of Guardians of the Galaxy immediately after the events of Avengers: Endgame. Gunn recounted his initial intention to conclude the movie without featuring Thor.
James Gunn told Rolling Stone:
“They chose to have that ending in editing. And I didn’t think it was gonna be in there. Endgame came out right after I decided to do Guardians again. So I didn’t have much say in what was in Endgame, and then it came out and then I was like, ‘What the f**k am I gonna do?’ That’s when [Marvel Studios president] Kevin [Feige] told me Taika’s gonna do Thor, and we’ll have the Guardians in it. I said ‘Thank God!’… To be completely honest, Thor was never going to be in this movie. Taika took a bullet for me. Because I was not going to have him in. I was just gonna start up and there’s no Thor.”
Having penned and directed the entire trilogy of Guardians of the Galaxy, James Gunn presently serves as the co-CEO of DC Studios, orchestrating the establishment of his fresh DC Universe.
