The MCU's New Space Opera Can Bring Back The Guardians Of The Galaxy & Reverse A James Gunn Decision

The MCU is planning a return to the cosmos with a brand-new space opera, and it just might be the perfect way to bring back the Guardians of the Galaxy. Following an epic Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy from director James Gunn, Marvel Studios now has its sights set on a brand-new hero who has yet to make their full MCU debut with Nova. As such, there's some exciting potential for both a Nova-led feature that could also bring back some beloved cosmic heroes.

Following the ending of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the Guardians themselves have been noticeably absent from the MCU. There's been no word of their involvement in either Avengers: Doomsday or Secret Wars, despite the movie featuring teases for these characters' futures. Keeping that in mind, the upcoming Nova project currently in development could be exactly what the MCU needs to bring the Guardians back.

While a potential Guardians/Nova connection could be a full-circle MCU moment for several reasons, it would certainly be nice to see the Guardians' story continue in some form in the MCU's future regardless.

The Guardians Of The Galaxy Could Return In Marvel's Nova Movie

Shifting from a previously announced series on Disney+, it's been confirmed that Marvel Studios is now developing a full Nova film, with Michael Waldron writing the screenplay and potentially directing. Waldron is best known for past MCU projects, including Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Likewise, it's widely expected that the movie will debut Richard Rider, the original human recruit from Earth who eventually becomes one of the Nova Corps' most powerful members.

Given the Guardians' prior MCU history with the Nova Corps on Xandar and even John C. Reilly's Rhomann Dey (who recruited Rider in the comics), the opportunity to bring together Rider and the current roster of Guardians has some sound narrative logic.

Interestingly, it was confirmed that the vast majority of the Nova Corps were wiped out off-screen by Thanos just before the events of Avengers: Infinity War when he came to claim the Power Stone. Perhaps this could be the tragic event that results in a dying Rhomann Dey recruiting Richard as he does in the comics, with Richard himself eventually using the Nova Force to revive the Nova Corps.

With the MCU's Nova Corps being in desperate need of revival as well, there's arguably no better time to debut Richard Rider. Likewise, perhaps we could be looking at a situation where a young Richard is recruited by Dey, and then crosses paths with some or all the Guardians, who then help him revive Xandar's Nova Corps.

Ultimately, any variation of that above idea and potential interactions with the Guardians would certainly help the upcoming Nova movie feel less like an isolated project and more like the beginning of a new chapter for the cosmic side of the MCU in general.

James Gunn Cut Nova From The Guardians Of The Galaxy

Despite heavily featuring the Nova Corps and allying several of its members with the Guardians, it's since been revealed that James Gunn elected not to feature Richard Rider in his first MCU movie. While this arguably worked in the lesser-known Guardians' favor with the MCU making these characters household names, the absence of Rider's Nova has certainly been felt by fans for over a decade.

Keeping that in mind, Richard Rider finally debuting all these years later in his own Nova movie that potentially features some Guardians would be a pretty fun reversal of MCU history. Likewise, it's worth noting that James Gunn is no longer helping guide the cosmic side of the MCU, having become one of the heads of DC Studios for Warner Bros. As such, perhaps the time has come to open a new chapter of the MCU's cosmic stories by finally bringing Richard Rider and the Guardians together for a truly brand-new era.

The Guardians Still Need A Bigger MCU Future

Overall, James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 gave the franchise an emotionally satisfying ending that very much felt like a solid conclusion for Gunn's trilogy and the time he spent in the MCU with these characters. However, the movie still features key teases for the future, like Rocket Raccoon becoming the leader of a new Guardians roster featuring Groot, Adam Warlock, Phyla-Vell, Kraglin, Cosmo, and Blurp. However, this new cosmic team of heroes hasn't been seen since the 2023 trilogy ender.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's ending also saw Chris Pratt's Peter Quill returning to Earth to finally reunite with his grandfather, with a tag at the end promising that "The Legendary Star-Lord Will Return." However, Star-Lord has been just as absent, and there's been no word on whether he'll be featured in either of the next Avengers movies. Three years later, it definitely feels like the MCU fandom is ready for new Guardians of the Galaxy stories in some shape or form.

Will Guardians Of The Galaxy 4 Ever Happen?

Ultimately, a fourth Guardians of the Galaxy movie does feel difficult to imagine without James Gunn. After all, his voice and vision were instrumental in what made the trilogy work so well for audiences. At the same time, ending the Guardians franchise entirely as it stands also feels weird, especially considering this brand-new roster and the promises made about Star-Lord.

As such, Nova could be very valuable in place of a full-fledged Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 4. Marvel Studios could use a Nova franchise to continue the Guardians' stories organically, with characters like Rocket and Groot now serving more as supporting characters rather than as a leading ensemble.

Clearly, there's inherent potential for this upcoming Nova project, and it could become so much more than the MCU's long-awaited introduction to Richard Rider (which for many would be enough). It could easily help reopen the door to keep the Guardians of the Galaxy going in the MCU with a future that goes beyond the beloved James Gunn era.

On the other hand, as cool and entertaining as it would be to see Nova joining forces with the Guardians of the Galaxy, there would also be something admittedly appropriate if they didn't. Just as Gunn decided Nova wasn't necessary to make the Guardians successful, perhaps Marvel Studios will decide the inverse and keep Nova more of his own hero, offering a new flavor of MCU space opera for a new era. Honestly? Either option sounds intriguing to me.