10 Times MCU Movies Missed Out Key Plot Points
2. Richard Rider - Guardians Of The Galaxy
The Nova Corps made their debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1, but the on screen version we were given is a far cry from their comic counterparts. It's no secret that James Gunn wasn't interested on fleshing out the elite squad despite featuring them in the first movie. During the run up to GOTG:Vol 2, the director went on record to state although he does enjoy the characters, there are no plans to expand on the Nova Corps.
Reducing the Nova Corps to basically a police force for Xandar, there was no need for a standout character besides Glenn Close's Nova Prime. This means the glaring omission of Richard Rider. Granted it's still possible to turn things around and introduce the character in the third Guardians film, for now it's safe to assume Nova isn't coming any time soon.
The lack of Rider has implications further down the line. The MCU is currently looking for it's next big bad, which fans are hoping will be Annihilus. With the Nova Corps and Xandar currently wiped out of the MCU, it's unlikely that we will see the villain any time soon as they play a key role in the Annihilation story arc.