James Gunn Doesn’t Want Nova In Guardians Of The Galaxy 2

As soon as Guardians of the Galaxy 2 was announced, fans began speculating about what other Marvel characters could wind up in the film. Popular theories point toward the Hulk, Adam Warlock and even Captain Marvel. Yet, the most plausible one seems to be Nova.

As one of the flagship characters of the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe, Nova is a major player in the fight against alien races like the Kree, and is a member of Xandar’s Nova Corps. Considering that those three things were all featured in the first Guardians film, it would seem logical that Nova – the alter-ego of Earth-born Richard Rider – could be thrown into the mix. However, there’s one big thing standing in the way of the fan-favorite character’s big screen debut: director James Gunn.

Gunn says that, while he doesn’t have anything against Nova as a character, he feels strongly that Peter Quill be the only Earthling in the film. He elaborates a bit more on his Facebook page, saying:

“I don’t want Nova right now because I think Quill being the only earthling is important. That serves the entire movie going audience and not just the handful of Nova fans… I have nothing against Nova in future movies, but it doesn’t serve the movie right this moment.”

With Guardians of the Galaxy 2 still nearly three years away from hitting theaters, it’s possible that Gunn’s opinion about the character, and his possible involvement in the MCU right now, could change. However, the director seems to have pretty firm control over what’s happening in the cosmic corner of the cinematic universe at the moment, and is the best indicator of what we may end up seeing when Star-Lord, Rocket, Groot, Gamora, and Drax embark on another big-screen adventure.

Tell us, are you sad to hear that James Gunn isn’t interested in bringing Nova into the fold just yet? Or would you rather see the character get his own solo film at some point down the line instead? Let us know in the comments section below.

Guardians of the Galaxy is set to hit theaters on May 5th, 2017.