Marvel Exec Explains Why Nova And Other Series Were Shelved

The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most recently canned project was one that fans were really looking forward to, and now they get a straight answer on why it was sidelined alongside two other shows that were in development.

For a good while, the MCU franchise was on top of the world with little to no life left in its major competitor following the massive success of the Infinity Saga and the damning failure of the Snyderverse-era DCEU to match that level of quality and fan investment. Following the conclusion of that era with Avengers: Endgame, the franchise would explore a new dimension with shows for Disney+ and would see early success with WandaVision. This would lead to all sorts of spinoffs, tie-ins, and solo projects being announced or otherwise floated around for the streamer, but the franchise would hit a road bump in those expansive plans to expand the MCU. A combination of changes behind the scenes stemming from Daredevil: Born Again’s creative overhaul and Disney’s proposed strategy in response to the stiff competition in the streaming sector meant that some of those projects were bound to fall by the wayside as the whole slate was reassessed.

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It took a while, but the inevitable finally hit at Marvel Studios last week. It was revealed then that three Marvel shows in development for Disney+ had been put on ice indefinitely, most notably the highly anticipated Nova show that had recently shown some strong signs of life via creative shakeups behind the scenes. While that decision was certainly perplexing, fans can now get a bit of clarity on why the call was made and what it means for the show’s future. In a short interview clip from the Phase Hero podcast made available by Phase Hero host Brandon Davis on YouTube, Marvel Studios Head of Streaming, Television, and Animation Brad Winderbaum discussed the shocking decision to shelve the highly anticipated Nova project and offered some insight as to why this was the path the studio decided on. “As you know, we’ve talked about it before, we’re developing more than we make,” Winderbaum said. “It’s a traditional television model but we’re Marvel so there’s more of a spotlight on us. Nova, certainly, is a favourite character of mine as well. There are so many variables. When we develop something, the material might be really great, but the timing might be wrong.”

The material was likely pretty good after Marvel Studios got two different writers to take a pass at it, and the Nova show was even rumored to be eyeing Henry Cavill for a role in it. However, the MCU is indeed at a sensitive juncture as a franchise, and sweeping changes that align more with standard TV production were indeed promised and executed, leading to these sorts of decisions that Winderbaum alludes to here. “As we figure out what we’re gonna greenlight, certain things may have to go on pause from time to time,” he said, rounding up his thoughts on the matter. “It doesn’t mean they’ll never get made, but we’re only going to make things we feel are ready and can go on for multiple seasons.” Before the restructuring behind the scenes at Marvel Studios, most Disney+ projects were made with no plans for multiple seasons and plots/character arcs that reflected that transitory nature. This might have been a contributing factor to many of these projects falling flat with fans.

The Nova series was certainly ambitious for a Disney+ project, guaranteed to be effects-heavy and set to take inspiration from some big sci-fi franchises, a property of the series that was somewhat ironically revealed to fans by Winderbaum during a previous appearance on Phase Hero with Brandon Davis. While the obscure nature of the character for mainstream audiences could have played a part in the show not being seen as a feasible choice to run for multiple seasons, the scale and cost of production could have also worked against it being chosen. The other two shows that were shelved alongside it could also be seen as falling into this category, with Strange Academy bound to require a lot of special effects magic to bring all its in-universe magic to life and the protagonist for Terror, Inc. bordering on body horror. Of these, Strange Academy also makes the best case against the choice being based on obscurity, as the series was set to be headlined by Wong and potentially feature Doctor Strange, while the wider franchise continues to subtly build up to introducing the barely known Young Avengers.

As things stand, fans might have to look to Charlie Cox’s upcoming MCU solo adventure for a savior. Daredevil: Born Again is set to open the door for the other Defenders, and a good outing for the show could also be the key to getting some of the shelved shows back in production as well. While there’s always a chance that things happen unpredictably, MCU fans hoping to see Nova will likely be able to see the writing on the wall when Born Again hits Disney+ in March.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise is available to stream on Disney+.

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Source: Brandon Davis/YouTube