The MCU’s Annihilus Deserves More Than The Nova TV Series

As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to explore its cosmic branch, earthbound adventures like the early Avengers movies are a thing of the past. With everything from The Marvels to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Eternals to Thor: Love and Thunder taking fans to the stars, there’s more on the way with the upcoming Nova series. Although the MCU hopes to find a new lease of life in the stars, it’s in danger of wasting one of its best villains.

While details are thin on the ground about Ed Bernero’s Nova series, the latest buzz is that the legendary Annihilus could be making his MCU debut. However, with Annihilus being up there with Onslaught, Galactus, and Doctor Doom as a Thanos-level villains who could lead the franchise’s future, there are worries that the Lord of the Negative Zone will end up left on the sidelines like the Sony Spider-Man Universe’s Knull.

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Annihilus Could be the MCU’s Next Thanos

Known as the insectoid ruler of the Negative Zone, Annihilus typically uses the Cosmic Control Rod that gives him godlike abilities, trying to extend his own life while wiping out anything living that stands in his way. Introduced in 1968’s Fantastic Four Annual #6, Annihilus’ debut comic reiterates that he’s a villain typically associated with the Fantastic Four. As Marvel’s First Family has enough to contend with in The Fantastic Four: First Steps thanks to presumed villain roles for Galactus, Silver Surfer, and a rumored Doctor Doom, Annihilus is reportedly finding his place in Nova.

Annihilus really came into his own for 2006’s Annihilation crossover event. Here, Annihilus launched an attack on the Positive Universe with his Annihilation Wave, taking out the Nova Corps and forcing a band of cosmic heroes and villains to join forces against him. This included the likes of Nova, Star-Lord, a reborn Drax the Destroyer, Galactus, the Silver Surfer, and a complicated role for Thanos. Annihilation is seen as one of the biggest Marvel crossovers, while its popularity led to a rebooted Guardians of the Galaxy. This lineup is the one that the MCU has largely adapted, meaning Guardians of the Galaxy movie fans have a lot to thank Annihilus for.

Even before Avengers: Endgame, there were theories that Annihilus was going to appear as a successor to Thanos and wild rumors that the movie would be titled Avengers: Annihilation. That turned out to be a bust, and even five years later, there’s still no official sign of the green meanie. Others looked to The Marvels to at least tease Annihilus, and if the movie had followed the comics where Mar-Vell and Rick Jones were trapped in the Negative Zone through the use of the Nega-Bands, it could’ve fit together nicely.

It’s unclear who the MCU’s next big bad will be, but with Jonathan Majors out as Kang the Conqueror, Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom looks to be the main villain of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. If Doom’s arc is wrapped up over those two movies, the MCU will likely be on the lookout for another main villain. Assuming the cosmic branch of the MCU continues to grow, a loose adaptation of Annihilus could see the Silver Surfer and Galactus return from First Steps and bring back the Guardians of the Galaxy. Then again, it’s just as possible that Annihilus will be confined to Nova like Secret Invasion’s Super Skrull.

There have been similar complaints that a potentially franchise-shattering villain like Mephisto is tipped to debut in Ironheart, which is why more recent rumors that Sacha Baron Cohen will appear in Spider-Man 4 have proved some divisive. At least Annihilus has plenty of comic book history, meaning his role in the Disney+ series makes sense. Also, assuming that the Fantastic Four make it out of Secret Wars alive and Annihilus isn’t defeated in Nova, he has the potential to really shine in the inevitable First Steps sequel.

What do we Know About the Nova TV Series?

For now, Annihilus remains on the sidelines with fan castings even suggesting that John Malkovich’s mystery First Steps character could be a ruse to hide Annihilus. As for Nova, this is another character there’s been plenty of speculation about in the MCU. Posting a now-deleted Threads in November 2024, James Gunn confirmed that he nixed the idea of Richard Rider’s Nova appearing in the original Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequels, saying he wanted Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord to be the only human member of the team.

A Nova series was first discussed in 2022, and despite things going suspiciously quiet, a July 2024 update from Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed that the Nova series was still in active development. It isn’t expected to arrive for another three to four years, meaning fans can realistically expect Nova in 2027 or 2028. At least this should neatly set Annihilus up as a major villain in Phase 7, a.k.a. the so-called Mutant Saga. It’s still a long wait, especially after Avengers: Infinity War screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely confirmed they once discussed including him appearing in the 2018 movie.

Given Nova’s prominence in the cosmic side of Marvel Comics and Gunn admitting he was ‘too big’ to include in the Guardians movies, the lack of Nova in the MCU is a frustrating one. The Nova Corps and Glenn Close’s Nova Prime have similarly been criticized for their lack of screen time. Going back to Infinity War, the movie reportedly cut a 45-minute sequence that included Thanos’ decimation of Xander to gain the Power Stone. It’s safe to assume this will be revisited in Nova, with Rider potentially arriving somewhere before this in the MCU. Like Mephisto finding a place in Ironheart or Lady Death in Agatha All Along, audiences have come to expect the unexpected.

For now, Annihilus and Nova remain distant plans in the inevitable future of the franchise. Marvel Studios has always liked to plan ahead, and although this worked back in the early days of Phase One, there are complaints that MCU projects are announced years before they happen (if they happen at all). It’s also important not to take away from the hype surrounding other upcoming characters like the Fantastic Four, Galactus, and the MCU’s unique take on Doctor Doom. At least the Nova series gives audiences something to look forward to. Considering the potential of both Annihilus and Nova, audiences hope this is one villain and hero pairing that gets the long-awaited justice they deserve and aren’t simply discarded by a six-episode miniseries.

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