James Gunn’s Missing Nova Explanation Supports A Star Lord Death Theory
With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 being the end of director James Gunn’s trilogy, his previous missing Nova explanation could support a Star-Lord death theory. Introduced in 2014, the Guardians of the Galaxy have become some of the MCU’s most beloved heroes for their wit, humor, and familial bond. At the helm is Peter Quill’s Star-Lord, the team’s only human member and the reason why Gunn didn’t include Nova in the initial Guardians of the Galaxy movie. With the third installment likely being a send-off for the original team, a natural conclusion to Peter Quill’s arc could see his death as well as the introduction of another cosmic hero.
Richard Rider was a regular teenager on Earth before being chosen to take up the mantle of Nova. Mortally wounded after the decimation of planet Xander, Rhomann Dey chose a human at random to transfer his powers to in hopes that they would avenge his home. Both Dey and Xander were set up in Guardians of the Galaxy, and the subsequent destruction of Xander was inferred in Avengers: Infinity War. This seems like a natural setup for the introduction of Richard Rider in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but to do that, Star-Lord will need to die.