Marvel is inchingNovacloser to the MCU with a new comic book one-shot. After an uneventful past few years, the Richard Rider character is back as Nova is reintroduced into Marvel storylines through this summer’sImperialevent. In addition to giving Nova a stunning redesign, Rider is inserted as one of the story’s key characters by partnering him with Star-Lord… and that’s not all.
Marvelhas officially announcedImperial War: Nova – Centurion#1 as one of five new one-shot tie-ins for theImperialevent, with a release date set for September 10. Another recently revealed one-shot,Imperial War: Exiles,will center on Professor Charles Xavier, his daughter Shi’ar Majestrix Xandra, and her resurrected mother, Lilandra.
Cover art for both issues, illustrated by Francesco Mortarino and Francesco Manna respectively, can be seen above.Nova getting a spotlight issue is a promising sign that the character could finally be gearing up for his live-action debuton the big screen.
Imperial War: Nova – CenturionCould Launch Richard Rider Into the MCU Spotlight
Imperial War: Nova – Centurion#1 by Jed MacKay, Jonathan Hickman, and Matteo Della Fonte
The new trailer forImperialreleased by Marvel this past week made sure to highlight the return of Nova. Little did readers know at the time thatMarvel had bigger plans ahead for the former member of the Guardians of the Galaxy.Those plans are manifesting slowly, not only through his supporting role, but also in this upcoming one-shot. Marvel’s statement on the one-shot reads as follows:“The Xandarian Worldmind will be lost forever…unless Rich Rider can earn the credits needed to keep it alive in IMPERIAL WAR: NOVA - CENTURION! So Nova must offer his services to the highest bidder – Have Helmet, Will Travel!”
Writer Jed MacKay’s recent comments make it clear that he is both passionate and well-versed when it comes to Richard Rider, which should reassure Nova fans that their favorite hero is in good hands. IfImperial War: Nova – Centurionis being positioned as a potential launching pad for the character’s return to major storylines in comics and possibly even in the MCU, then this is a significant step. Marvel’s renewed focus on Nova signals big things ahead, especially with his new adventures already aligning with broader MCU themes before he has even made his live-action debut.
Jed MacKay: I’m very excited to take on the Human Rocket and explore the new cosmic stage defined by Imperial! The great galactic civilizations are moving into an all-new alignment, and I’m really looking forward to seeing where the last Nova Corpsman fits in when the pieces are put together.
Rich is really interesting to me. For a lot of his history he’s been defined as being a ‘new kid,’ from his Spider-Man-esque origin to his time with the New Warriors, even up to the opening of Annihilation. Now, he’s the last standard bearer of the old order, a veteran of a war that already seems so long ago, and the question is being asked…is a Nova still relevant in the wake of IMPERIAL?
Nova’s Cosmic Comeback Ties Directly to Thanos’ MCU Destruction
Marvel Reconnects Nova to Xandar’s Fall, Setting the Stage for His Long-Awaited MCU Debut
InAvengers: Infinity War, in a since deleted sequence, Thanos arrives on the planet Xandar looking for the Power Stone to complete his search for all the Infinity Stones. Not only does he destroy half of the planet’s population by the time he leaves the planet, butThanos acquires the Power Stone by obliterating the Nova Corps and Nova Empire. Even though Earth-616 is separate from the MCU, Nova is once again connected to the MCU’s Big Bad by way of Xandar.
That can’t be a coincidence, especially as he’s taking jobs to keep the Nova Force alive. This may prove to be the perfect gateway for mainstream audiences to become familiar with Nova before his MCU debut. It has been a surprisingly long and tough road for Marvel, as they have attempted to bring Nova to both the big and small screens time and again. Connecting theNovaname back to the planet that the Avengers' greatest enemy decimated could be exactly the key needed to seal the deal.
Imperial War: Nova – Centurion #1will be released by Marvel Comics on July 22, 2025!
