We've previously learned that Nova's origin story was going to play out off screen in
Avengers: Infinity War and
Avengers: Endgame, but the writers of those movies - Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus - have now revealed how exactly Richard Rider was set to factor into proceedings.
"We actually had, I remember in the big manifesto thing that we did, where the first work we did on these movies where we just... every possible storyline that you could take from what's around, that Nova has the Xandarian Worldmind," Markus revealed in an interview with
ComicBook.com.
"Yeah, the Xandarian Worldmind. In this conception, he would be the herald, not unlike the Hulk, who was actually standing in for the Silver Surfer, but that one member of the Nova Corps survived Thanos' attack. The Xandarian Worldmind would be the voice of Glenn Close, because you had her and why not? And that he would be Richard Rider and he would come to earth."
As you may recall, the comic book version of the character inherited the Xandarian Worldmind and the full power of the Nova Corps after Xandar was destroyed. We know that Thanos decimated the planet when he went there to get the Power Stone, so it would have been easy for this to play out in the movie. However, there's a very good reason why the filmmakers decided not to do it.
"[You're] introducing a whole new character when we're trying to say goodbye to all the ones that you know," McFeely explains after Markus admitted that seeing this would have been "amazing."
Were you disappointed by the lack of Nova in the movie?
Hit the "View List" button to learn more about Avengers: Endgame
in these highlights from their Comic-Con panel earlier this year!
What Would Bring The Russos Back To Marvel Studios?
There's a simple answer to that question:
Secret Wars.
"We've mentioned how much we love Secret Wars," Joe said when the moderator asked if they would come back to Marvel Studios to take the helm of a big screen adaptation of their favourite comic book tale. "We would love to work with Marvel again and maybe Secret Wars makes sense," Anthony added, making it clear that they haven't closed the door on working in the MCU again.
How It Feels To See Endgame So Close To Avatar's Record
We're still waiting on updated box office numbers and things will become clearer after the weekend, but
Avengers: Endgame is just under $7 million shy of beating
Avatar's record worldwide cume.
"It's a cathartic experience for all of us," Anthony said.
"James Cameron has always been an idol of ours so to be so close to one of his films is really special." Analysts are confident that the Marvel Studios move will now defeat the 2009 release, so you have to imagine they're feeling
very happy.
Disagreements And Challenges
The filmmakers (and brothers) were asked what their last fight was about and Joe responded to that by joking,
"Was it about the length of Captain Marvel's hair?" They went on to explain that the hardest VFX shots in both
Avengers: Infinity War and
Avengers: Endgame were the moments everyone was dusted, and the portals the resurrected heroes later returned through.
After noting that the one day on set they would like to relive was Robert Downey Jr's final day when he filmed his death scene, Anthony noted:
"The first day of shooting on Infinity War was interesting. It was an interesting day because the challenge was combining all these franchises and combining Tony and Peter and the Guardians was an interesting cocktail."
Questions From Some Familiar Faces...
Mark Ruffalo appeared on screen and asked the Russos if The Hulk is now the smartest
and strongest Avenger.
"Banner tried to solve time travel but he didn't," Joe pointed out before Anthony weighed in with:
"My daughter Grace would say Shuri is the smartest Avenger."
Chris Evans was up next and he wanted to know what Steve Rogers did next after getting his dance with Peggy. He also quizzed the directors on which of their movies was the most stressful to direct. "It's a good question," Joe said. "Perhaps he and Peggy tried to make a baby?"
Anthony gave an even more interesting suggested when he pointed out that, "If you think about in terms of alternate reality, Steve could do a lot of things. He could save Bucky from Hydra. He could visit himself in the ice." As for the most stressful film, they agreed that it was Infinity War, while the most relaxed was their first: Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Then, it was Chris Hemsworth's turn. He pushed them to answer who would be a better leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy: Thor or Star-Lord, while heavily indicating that it would be the God of Thunder. The directors declined to humour the actor and Joe pointed out, "That was more of a statement."
Paul Rudd then joined in and asked which Chris in the MCU has the best "America's Ass." Joe was quick to say that "We're not even gonna touch this one" before polling the crowd. Evans won.
Finally, Robert Downey Jr. showed up on screen and had a very insightful question. What was the biggest difference between Tony Stark saying "I am Iron Man" in Iron Man and Avengers: Endgame?
"The arc Tony Stark went through, beginning as the egocentric person to sacrificing himself that way," Anthony explained. "See, he had become a father. Your job in the universe is to serve others and that's the biggest change. He was in a different place there in the end."
Their Future Projects
Cherry starring Tom Holland is next up for the filmmakers, and it's going to be R-Rated.
"It's set in Clevland, Ohio where we grew up," Joe said.
"This is a story about the opioid crisis told in a very fascinating way." The filmmakers added that they're huge fans of Holland and he's someone they're hoping to work with
"on all our projects moving forward." Here's the official logo:
21 Bridges stars Chadwick Boseman and the new trailer was released online shortly after the panel ended.
"Anthony and I grew up loving genre movies that had something to say beyond the genre, and 21 Bridges has Chadwick Boseman hunting down the [cop killers]. It's one we're very proud of."
As you can see below, the filmmakers went on to reveal the official logo for Magic: The Gathering and confirmed that they're adapting both Grimjack and Battle of the Planets. While they're producing the former, they admitted that there's a chance they will direct the latter (which would obviously make that their next major blockbuster following their work in the MCU).
One Final Marvel Studios Question
There was still more for Marvel Studios fans to enjoy, though, as the Russos were asked about the lengths actors like Evans and Hemsworth go through in order to prepare for their roles.
"Evans used to go home every night with bumps and bruises," Joe said. "Similarly with Hemsworth, to play the large and heavy Thor, he had to wear a heavy bodysuit," Anthony added. "Hemsworth ended up hurting his back quite badly and we had to postpone a lot of his shooting."
A New Trailer For Avengers: Endgame
The panel concluded with this trailer featuring new behind the scenes footage and deleted scenes: