Marvel Confirms Nova Movie Featuring Richard Rider

0:00This is Ashley Akinetti from the almost famous podcast. You ever notice you and your spouse keep saying, we need to get away, but you never actually plan anything. That was us until we did something fun and spontaneous. We went to resort pass.com. There are hundreds of hotel resorts, pools and spots and private beaches that you can enjoy. You can spend the day at a luxury resort, pool, spa, massage, without booking an overnight stay. And listen, I may have only been like 15 minutes from home, but it felt like it was a whole different world. And I'm thinking, this is exactly what I needed. So just go to resort pass.com, choose your resort, choose your day, luxury, resort, day passes, start at just $1,500. Once you post your daycation, people are gonna ask where you are. Go to resort pass.com slash almost famous and use the promo code almost famous to get $20 off when you spend $100. That's code almost famous at resort pass.com slash almost famous.

1:00Enjoy big savings with Red Hot deals at Vons and Albertsons. This week at Vons and Albertsons, baby back pork ribs are $2.99 per pound with membership where applicable limit three racks. And ballpark hot dogs or hamburger buns eight count are $2.99 with digital coupon. Plus personal seedless watermelons or cantaloupe are $1.99 each with digital coupon. Enjoy fresh and delicious savings for every meal. Korean these deals won't last. Visit vonsoralbertsons.com for more deals and ways to save. At Verbo, we understand that even the best of plans sometimes need a little support. So we plan for the plot twists. Every booking is automatically backed by our Verbo care guarantee, giving you confidence from the very start. Whenever you need help, it's ready. Before you're stay through the moments in between and after your trip. Because a great trip starts with peace of mind. And maybe a good playlist, but we've got the peace of mind part covered. You know, usually when you inherit something

2:02from someone who came before you, there's this unspoken expectation that it'll be somewhat manageable. Right, like it won't ruin your life. Exactly. Yeah. Like take a vintage watch for example, you get this beautiful old time piece from a grandfather, you slip it onto your wrist, and you know, you admire the craftsmanship. Yeah, you wind it up occasionally. Right, you wind it up and you just move on with your daily routine. The watch doesn't ask much of you. It's completely self-contained. I mean, it might hold emotional weight, sure, but it certainly doesn't require you to redefine your entire existence. No, not go. You don't have to suddenly become like an expert herologist just to keep it ticking. But then you step into the high stakes world of modern Hollywood blockbusters. And suddenly we aren't talking about a quaint vintage watch anymore. Oh, not even close. Imagine inheriting the keys to a multi-billion dollar cinematic empire. Yeah. And not just any corporate empire, but a wildly successful, heavily stylized, creative playground.

3:02Right, one that was built from the ground up around a very specific vision. Exactly. The eccentric, highly specific, lightning in a bottle vision of one single individual. And that individual just pack up his desk, left the building, and went to run the rival company across town. Which shifts the paradigm entirely. Completely. You are no longer inheriting a family heirloom. You are stepping onto a ticking time bomb of financial and cultural expectations. Yes, surrounded by this passionate fan base, just waiting to see if you cut the right wire. It feels like an absolutely impossible act to follow. It really does. But that impossible act is exactly what we are dissecting today. So there is this massive report from movie web this week by Richard Neben. Yeah, a really detailed breakdown. And it confirms a seismic shift in the cosmic landscape of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The headline just lays it out clearly. It says, Guardians of the Galaxy spin off officially happening with main character confirmed. Which, for anyone who tracks how these massive narrative universes evolve, is a very big deal.

4:04Oh, huge. So our mission for this deep dive is to unpack the mechanics of this baton pass. We are looking at how the studio is attempting to transition away from the legendary Guardians of the Galaxy. Right, and pivot toward a highly anticipated solo hero. Exactly. We have this one comprehensive source from movie web. And it gives us incredible insight into the future of franchise storytelling. The behind the scenes strategy is fascinating. It really is. And it shows the immense, almost suffocating pressure of filling a $2.5 billion void. Yeah. The business strategy layered underneath a sci-fi lore here is just so interesting. The source material is dense with clues about where the Cinematic Universe is heading. Definitely. Especially how they handle the departure of a visionary and the introduction of a completely different kind of cosmic narrative. Right. So let's dive straight into the sheer size of the shadow this new project is standing in. I mean, we cannot talk about a cosmic Marvel spin-off without acknowledging the massive elephant in the room.

5:05The $2.5 billion elephant. It's exactly. For the better part of a decade, the Guardians of the Galaxy reign supreme as one of the most culturally dominant pillars of the entire MCU. Oh, absolutely. Three wildly successful solo movies, massive crossover appearances, merchandising empires. Yeah, the toys alone. Right. And the defining factor of that success was its singular voice. Director and writer James Gunn was the architect of that specific corner of the universe. Yeah. And as the report notes, he is officially exited to become the co-CEO of DC Studios. Which presents a unique problem that goes far beyond just standard recasting or swapping directors. Right, because it's his tone. Exactly. In franchise filmmaking, there is a distinct difference between franchise continuation and franchise expansion. OK, break that down for me. So continuation is relatively simple. A studio has a machine that prints money. So they hire a new technician to keep the gears turning. But Gunn wasn't just a technician. He was the author of that specific tone.

6:07Yeah, the irreverence, the needle drops. The deeply dysfunctional family dynamics. That wasn't a studio mandate. That was his personal creative DNA. And the source is very clear that the Guardian story, as we knew it, concluded with Gunn's departure. Right. The studio is in trying to make Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 4 with some proxy director. They are being forced into franchise expansion. Which is infinitely more difficult. They have to maintain the audience's interest in the cosmic side of their universe. But they have to do it through a completely new untested lens. Because if you try to mimic the old visionary, it usually results in a hollow imitation. Fans can spot an inauthentic tone from a mile away. So the studio has to build something adjacent to the Guardians, utilizing the goodwill of that brand without actually trying to be the Guardians. You know, it makes me think of a high-end culinary analogy. OK, let's hear it. Imagine a Michelin star chef leaves a world-renowned restaurant. The owners still have the same kitchen,

7:07the same prime real estate, and a massive customer base expecting a phenomenal, mind-blowing meal. But the chef took his secret recipes and his proprietary techniques with him to start a new restaurant across the street. The owners can't just hire a line cook to guess how to make the old menu. No, they'd get caught instantly. Right. They have to launch a completely new signature dish using the same kitchen. And pray the loyal customers are willing to adjust their palettes. And every single patron who walks through those doors is going to take their first bite of the new dish and immediately compare it to the meal they had a year ago. Exactly. The psychological anchor of the previous success is just unavoidable. Which makes me question the fundamental marketing strategy here. The report repeatedly uses the term spin-off. Doesn't relying on the label of a spin-off inherently set this new character up to live in the shadow of the previous ensemble. That is a very valid concern. Right. Because if I am a writer or a director trying to establish a bold new cosmic hero,

8:08the absolute last thing I want is the audience constantly wondering where Star Lord and Gamora are. Yeah, you want them focused on the new guy. By tethering this new project to the Guardian's brand, aren't they just inviting that impossible Michelin star comparison? Well, that tension between marketing safety and creative independence is the central tightrope of modern franchise building. From a purely financial standpoint, the studio executives view the $2.5 billion box office gross as a safety net. Sure. It makes the shareholders happy. Exactly. They want to signal to the general audience, the people who don't read comic books, that this new property exists in the same enjoyable neighborhood as the movies they already love. But creatively. Creatively, you are entirely correct. It is a massive risk. It feels like carrying around your older siblings' report card while trying to convince your parents you are good at completely different subjects. That is a perfect way to frame it. Think about anytime in your own life to you listening right now when you've had to step into a role previously occupied

9:10by a beloved figure. Like, taking over a team at work. Exactly. Maybe you took over managing a team from a legendary boss or you stepped into a leadership role in your community. If you try to honor the past by just mimicking the old boss, your team sees right through it. Yeah, you come across as a cover band instead of an original artist. Precisely. To succeed, you have to acknowledge the foundation that was laid, but boldly stake your own claim with a completely different management style, which is a huge burden on this new film. It has to capture lightning in a bottle twice, but the lightning needs to be an entirely different color. So if they can't rely on the old chef's recipes and they know they need a completely different flavor of lightning, they have to rethink the fundamental architecture of how they deliver this story, which brings us to the most surprising piece of corporate strategy in this movie web report. Yeah, this part blew my mind. The studio completely changed their minds on the medium itself. Right. For years, the industry assumption,

10:10backed by various trades, was that this solo project for the hero Nova was going to be a Disney Plus streaming series, which was the standard playbook for a while. But the source confirms that in July, 2026, Marvel officially upgraded the project to a feature film. And we really cannot overstate how significant that shift is. In the current Hollywood ecosystem, moving a project from a streaming platform to a theatrical release isn't a mere scheduling adjustment. No, it's not just tweaking the calendar. It is a fundamental recalculation of the characters in trinsic value. It changes the scale of the narrative and the financial investment the studio is willing to risk. It's a massive promotion, really. You don't take a character from the small screen to the global theatrical stage, unless you believe they can carry a $200 million budget and generate a billion dollars in return. You just don't. And the creative force they have entrusted with this newly upgraded theatrical temple tells us everything we need to know. This is Matt Rogers from Los Cultures. It's us with Matt Rogers and Boan Yang.

11:12This is Boan Yang from Los Cultures. It's Matt Rogers and Boan Yang. You know when people try new food, and suddenly it's like, wait. That's the reaction. A lot of people are having when they first try QB Mayo. It's the one with the red cap and the little baby on the bottle. I'll be seeing it in the grocery store before. And if you've ever just walked past it, some people would say that's a huge mistake. Because this Mayo is different. Most mayonnaise uses whole eggs. QB only uses egg yolks, which gives it this rich umami flavor. It's smoother, deeper, and almost buttery. Once people try it, they start putting it on everything. Egg sandwiches, fries, burgers, some fans even swear by dipping pizza crust in it. And once you notice it, you start seeing it everywhere. Chefs use it, restaurants use it. People who really care about flavor use it. Never try it. Grab the bottle with the red cap next time you're at the store. Put it on just about anything. Then you'll understand. QB, the original Japanese mayonnaise. This is Ashley Akinetti from the almost famous podcast. You ever notice you and your spouse keep saying,

12:12we need to get away, but you never actually plan anything. That was us until we did something fun and spontaneous. We went to resortpass.com. There are hundreds of hotel resorts, pools and spots and private beaches that you can enjoy. You can spend the day at a luxury resort, pool, spa, massage, without booking an overnight stay. And listen, I may have only been like 15 minutes from home, but it felt like it was a whole different world. And I'm thinking, this is exactly what I needed. So just go to resortpass.com, choose your resort, choose your day, luxury resort day passes, start at just $1,000. Once you post your daycation, people are going to ask where you are. Good to resortpass.com, slash almost famous and use the promo code almost famous to get $20 off when you spend $100. That's code almost famous at resortpass.com slash almost famous. Enjoy big savings with Red Hot Deals at Vons and Albertsons. This week at Vons and Albertsons, baby back pork ribs

13:13are 2.99 per pound with membership where applicable limit three racks. And ballpark hot dogs or hamburger buns, eight count are 2.99 with digital coupon. Plus personal seedless watermelons or canelope are $199 each with digital coupon. Enjoy fresh and delicious savings for every meal. Hurry in, these deals won't last. Visit vons or Albertsons.com for more deals and ways to save. The report confirms that writer Michael Waldron is attached to Pem the script. And the inclusion of Michael Waldron is essentially the Rosetta Stone for understanding the studio's internal expectations for this character. Let's look at his resume as outlined in the source because it is staggering. He developed the hit Disney Plus show Loki, which dealt with incredibly complex multiversal mechanics. Yeah, but more importantly, he is currently the writer, architecting the climax of the entire Marvel cinematic universe. Right. He is writing the massive upcoming team up films Avengers Doomsday in 2026 and Avengers Secret Wars in 2027.

14:14Which is an insane workload. Insane. By handing the Nova script to the exact same writer who is steering the Avengers, the studio is screening from the rooftops that this new hero is a central pillar of their future. They really are because in franchise filmmaking, writers are generally highly specialized. You have writers who excel at intimate, street level, character driven television. Right. And then you have writers whose brains are wired to handle massive reality collapsing theatrical spectacles with dozens of moving parts. Waldron has proven he can manage weird esoteric sci-fi lore. So he's their heavy hitter now. He is the primary architect of the multiverse saga. So upgrading Nova to a theatrical feature and attaching the primary Avengers writer suggests that Nova Roar's solo story is inextricably linked to the macro narrative of the entire cinematic universe. I am looking at Waldron's schedule, though. And my immediate instinct is to sound the alarm on creative burnout. Oh, absolutely. I mean, writing two massive Avengers movies back to back

15:18is historically one of the most grueling, all-consuming tasks in Hollywood. It breaks people. It's a logistical nightmare. Right. If he is already juggling the logistics of dozens of characters across Doomsday and Secret Wars, throwing a ground up solo origin story onto his plate at the exact same time feels like a studio getting incredibly greedy. I see what you mean. Is there a structural narrative reason they need him doing all three? Or is this just the studio leaning way too heavily on their current favorite employee? Well, burnout is a very real well-documented historical danger in these shared universes. When one creative mind is stretched across too much real estate, the quality invariably dips. Yeah, we've seen it happen. But the counterargument and the strategy the studio is undoubtedly banking on here is the pursuit of absolute narrative synergy. Synergy? OK. Is the ultimate corporate buzzword? But how does it actually function in a script? So in a shared universe, translation errors between solo films and team up films are a constant headache.

16:18A director might end a solo film with a character in a specific emotional state, only for a different writer to completely ignore that development in the next big crossover. Oh, right. Like when a character learns a lesson and then immediately forgets it in the next movie. Exactly. It's jarring for the audience. But if the studio wants Nova to flawlessly integrate into the climax of Secret Wars, having the same writer craft his solo introduction ensures zero friction. OK. Walgren knows precisely where the narrative chess pieces need to be positioned at the beginning of Secret Wars. Therefore, he can reverse engineer Nova solo movie to guarantee the character arrives at those exact emotional and physical coordinates. OK. I see the logic. It's like having the master architect who designed the structural integrity of a massive skyscraper, also designed the foundation for a brand new wing they want to add. That's a great analogy. He already knows where every single load bearing wall is, so he isn't going to accidentally collapse the building by putting a pillar in the wrong place. Precisely. Furthermore, the shift from streaming to theatrical

17:21dictates the pacing of the narrative architecture. A streaming series affords a writer roughly six hours of storytelling real estate. Right. Plenty of time to breathe. Exactly. That allows for a slow burn, deep character introspection, meandering subplots, and extensive world building. But a movie is totally different. A feature film is a completely different beast. You have two, perhaps two and a half hours. It requires a much tighter, aggressively propulsive narrative engine. You can't spend three episodes watching the hero learn how to use his powers in a training montage. You really cannot. The theatrical upgrade implies that Nova's story demands a premium cinematic experience, massive visual effects, immediate high stakes, and a pacing that hits the ground running. So it's big. Whatever story they are adapting, it is too big, too explosive for episodic television. Which demands we look at exactly who requires this massive theatrical canvas. The source material points us directly

18:22to the identity of the hero. And it fundamentally changes the tone from what we saw with the guardians. Yes, it's a huge shift. The report references a recent interview Michael Waldron did with The Wrap. He played the typical Koi, secretive, Marvel writer game dodging specifics, but he explicitly confirmed the protagonist. He stated, I love Nova. I love Rich Writer. And confirming Rich Writer as the focal point is a crucial detail for anyone familiar with the war. The mantle of Nova, much like the Green Lantern in DC Comics, is a title held by various individuals across different eras. OK, I didn't know that. Yeah. But Rich Writer is the foundational iteration. He is the classic definitive version of the character. The movie web article provides a fantastic breakdown of his narrative evolution in the comics. And it is a fascinating contrast to the swashbuckling rogue archetype of Star Lord. They couldn't be more different. Right. Rich Writer doesn't start as a cool space pirate. He starts as a profoundly grounded, deeply insecure human teenager.

19:22Just a normal kid. Yeah. And he's eventually thrust into the cosmos to become a formidable frontline protector and the leader of an intergalactic police force known as the Nova Corps. Which is a wild trajectory. And the inciting incident that launches this insecure kid into the stars is a classic sci-fi trope, a dying alien named Roman Day crash lands on Earth. And essentially randomly selects this teenager to inherit his mantle, his rank, and his immensely powerful cosmic abilities. The ordinary person chosen for an extraordinary burden is arguably the most enduring archetype in heroic mythology. Sure, we see it everywhere. We see it in everything from King Arthur to Spider-Man. But it's application in a massive cosmic setting as particularly potent. We have to ask ourselves, from a narrative design perspective, why does an insecure human teenager make for a more compelling cosmic protagonist than, for example, a seasoned space marine or an elite highly trained alien soldier? My immediate thought is competence versus chaos.

20:23Exactly. Because if you are a dying intergalactic space cop with the weight of the universe on your shoulders, handing your badge and your hyper-advanced world is destroying technology to a high school kid, who is probably actively stressing out about a geometry exam, that seems like a terrible tactical decision. Tactically terrible, but narratively brilliant. Right. It is all about the friction generated by juxtaposition. When a writer takes a protagonist whose biggest daily obstacle is terrestrial, adolescent insecurity, and abruptly forces them to navigate complex interstellar politics, brutal cosmic wars, and the burden of billions of lives, you create instant combustible drama. Because they're completely out of their depth. Exactly. If the dying alien handed the power to a seasoned space veteran, the veteran would simply nod, adapt to the new weapons, and execute the mission. It would be competent, efficient, and ultimately emotionally flat. There's no learning curve for the veteran. Exactly. An insecure teenager, however, is going to make catastrophic mistakes.

21:25They are going to experience profound terror. They are going to want to quit. Which is so relatable. And most importantly, the audience gets to experience the awe, the majesty, and the sheer horror of the wider universe directly alongside them, step for step. It takes incredibly high concept, alien sci-fi, and grounds it completely in raw, recognizable human vulnerability. It is the ultimate fish out of water story. My brain immediately goes to the legendary King Arthur sword in the stone moment. Oh, that's a good comparison. You have this mythical artifact that grants immense power and destiny to whoever pulls it from the rock. But in this Marvel sci-fi iteration, the stone is a dying alien police officer, and he's just tossing you the keys to the universe while bleeding out on a sidewalk. Yeah, a bit more intense than a rock. Just a little bit. And there is a massive MCU specific detail here that the source highlights, that dying alien Roman day. He has already been introduced in this cinematic universe. Yes, this is a fascinating detail.

22:25He was played by John C. Riley in the first Guardians of the Galaxy film. That specific casting detail highlights a fascinating tonal tightrope. This new film is going to have to walk. Because John C. Riley brought a very specific, slightly bumbling, highly comedic, almost blue collar energy to the role of Roman day. Right. He was the funny, exasperated beat cop of the universe. Exactly. So to transition from that beloved comedic performance to a dramatic, presumably brutal and tragic death scene that serves as the traumatic catalyst for a teenager's entire hero journey that requires an incredibly delicate script. It really does. If it is too funny, it undercuts the tragedy. If it's too dark, it feels disconnected from the character of the audience from members. Which brings us to the central narrative dilemma that Michael Waldron himself seems to be wrestling with. In that same interview with The Wrap, Waldron openly mused about the fundamental structure of the origin story. What did you say? He asked rhetorically, where do you start that story?

23:26Do you start him on Earth? Do you start in space as part of the Novakor? That feels like the billion dollar question that dictates the entire identity of the franchise. Oh, it completely changes the genre of the movie, depending on the answer. Let's play this out in theorize based on Waldron's options. If they decide to start the story on Earth, what does that cinematic experience actually look like for the audience? Well, if the script begins with Richard Ryder on Earth, you are essentially constructing a terrestrial coming of age story wrapped in a superhero cloak. You are forced to dedicate a significant portion of the first act, perhaps the first 30 to 40 minutes, establishing his mundane grounded reality. You have to build out his family dynamic, his high school environment, his terrestrial friendships, his specific neuroses. You have to make the audience care about his geometry test before you blow up a planet. Yes. The inciting incident, John C. Riley, crashing to Earth and dying, serves to radically disrupt that established normalcy. Right. The primary engine of drama in the second act

24:27becomes the friction between his new, overwhelming, cosmic responsibilities and his desperate attempt to maintain his terrestrial life. So it's very much in the classic early Spider-Man tradition. Exactly. The emotional scale starts small, localized, and deeply personal before expanding into the cosmos. But the flip side of that equation completely alters the DNA of the film. If they take Walgreens second option and start him in space. If the film opens with Richard Reiter already in space, already integrated into the Novakor, you are entirely bypassing the terrestrial prologue. Just skipping right to the action. You drop the audience and media res into a sprawling political thriller or an interstellar war film. The viewer is immediately bombarded with alien cultures, complex intergalactic bureaucracy, and massive cosmic threats. So the focus immediately shifts from a kid navigating high school anxiety to a rookie cop trying to survive an impossibly vast hostile universe. Exactly. It accelerates the pacing exponentially.

25:27It is a much faster track to the high stakes, visual effects driven action, that a $200 million theatrical budget demands. Which makes sense for a movie. However, the inherent risk is losing that grounded, relatable human element that made the character appealing in the first place. You start in space, you have to find organic ways to retroactively explain his terrestrial origins without slowing down the plot. It is a massive structural choice. You are basically choosing between ET, Measleical Weapon, or jumping straight into Top Gun and Space. That's a great way to put it. And given that we just established the studio, deliberately upgraded this from a slow burn streaming show to a propulsive theatrical feature, I have wonder if they view the Earth-based high school origin as simply too slow for what they're trying to achieve on the big screen. The medium often dictates the pacing. A theatrical blockbuster rarely has the patience for a 40-minute high school prologue when the promise of the premise is intergalactic warfare. Well, this is where the source material gets incredibly dark and fascinating.

26:29Because whether they choose to start about worrying about a prom date on Earth or start about patrolling a dangerous space sector, the report points to one very specific defining event in the character's history. Yeah, this is the core of it. A storyline that completely shreads whatever innocence he has left. In that interview with a rap, Waldron was asked about his favorite Richard Wreider comic book story. Without hesitation, he pointed to the legendary 2006 annihilation crossover event. Right. He explicitly called it the go-to story for the character. And citing annihilation as the blueprint is a massive statement of intent. It elevates Nova from a standard, competent superhero into a truly tragic mythological figure carrying an unimaginable burden. Let's look at the facts of that comic storyline is outlined in the movie web report because the brutality of it is shocking. The plot centers around a massive devastating attack by a cosmic villain named Aniolas. A truly terrifying threat.

27:29And this attack isn't just a skirmish. It absolutely decimates the entire Nova Corps. The Intergalactic Police Force is wiped out. Richard Wreider is left as the soul survivor. He becomes the last man standing in an empty precinct. The sheer isolation of that scenario is terrifying. And to survive the massacre, the source explains the extreme mechanical length he has to go to. He absorbs the entire Nova force into his own body. Which is an insane amount of power. All the energy and power that used to be distributed and shared among a galaxy spanning police force is now violently concentrated inside the body of one insecure human. Just trying to hold it all together. But the physical power upgrade isn't even the wildest part. Along with the raw energy, he also integrates with a super intelligent collective AI known as the Xanderian world mind. And he uses this overwhelming combination of physical power and collective intelligence to lead a desperate resistance against Aniolas. We really need to dissect the psychological horror

28:30of this specific scenario, because it is far deeper than a standard comic book power up. OK, let's get into it. When Richard Wreider absorbs the Xanderian world mind into his consciousness, he isn't just downloading a helpful supercomputer to assist with tactical data. The world mind is the collective AI that contains the knowledge, the history, the culture, the art, and the digitized minds of the entire Xanderian civilization. It's like being forced to download the entire library of Congress plus the entire internet. Directly into your cerebral cortex while you are in the middle of a war zone. It is infinitely more profound than downloading data. He effectively becomes a walking, breathing graveyard. He is the sole living repository of a completely annihilated civilization. Every piece of music they ever composed, every piece of legislation they ever debated, the lingering echoes of billions of dead citizens, it is all actively living inside the mind of this one young man. That is just so heavy. The psychological trauma of simply surviving the brutal massacre of your entire police force

29:32is heavy enough for a character study. But to then be burdened with the literal active responsibility of keeping an entire species memory alive within your own head, it is an overwhelming, almost paralyzing concept. This is Matt Rogers from Los Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Boan Yang. This is Boan Yang from Los Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Boan Yang. You know when people try new food, and suddenly it's like, wait, that's the reaction. A lot of people are having when they first try cutie mayo. It's the one with the red cap and the little baby on the bottle. You've probably seen it in the grocery store before. And if you've ever just walked past it, some people would say that's a huge mistake because this mayo is different. Most mayonnaise uses whole eggs. Cutie only uses egg yolks, which gives it this rich umami flavor. It's smoother, deeper, and almost buttery. Once people try it, they start putting it on everything. Egg sandwiches, fries, burgers, some fans even swear by dipping pizza crust in it. And once you notice it, you start seeing it everywhere. Chefs use it, restaurants use it.

30:33People who really care about flavor use it. Never try it, grab the bottle with the red cap next time you're at the store. Put it on just about anything, then you'll understand. Cupid, the original Japanese mayonnaise. This is Ashley Akinetti from the Almost Amos podcast. You ever notice you and your spouse keep saying, we need to get away, but you never actually plan anything. That was us until we did something fun and spontaneous. We went to resortpass.com. There are hundreds of hotel resorts, pools and spots and private beaches that you can enjoy. You can spend the day at a luxury resort, pool, spa, massage, without booking an overnight stay. And listen, I may have only been like 15 minutes from home, but it felt like it was a whole different world. And I'm thinking, this is exactly what I needed. So just go to resortpass.com, choose your resort, choose your day, luxury, resort, day passes, start at just $25. Once you post your daycation, people are gonna ask where you are. Go to resortpass.com slash almost famous

31:34and use the promo code almost famous to get $20 off when you spend $100. That's code almost famous at resortpass.com slash almost famous. Enjoy big savings with Red Hot deals at Vons and Albertsons. This week at Vons and Albertsons, baby back pork ribs are $2.99 per pound with membership wear applicable limit three racks. And ballpark hot dogs or hamburger buns, eight count are $2.99 with digital coupon. Plus personal seedless watermelons or canelope are $1.99 each with digital coupon. Enjoy fresh and delicious savings for every meal. Hurry in, these deals won't last. Visit vonsoralbertsons.com for more deals and ways to save. You know, I really wanna push back on the mechanics of this AI element because I am fascinated by how this would actually play out practically in a narrative. Okay, what do you mean? I'm trying to imagine having a super intelligent collective civilization living inside your brain. What is the actual dynamic there? Is the world mind a helpful, subservient partner? Is it like a cosmic series politely giving you GPS directions

32:37and tactical advice to help save the universe? Oh, definitely not a polite series. Or is it an overwhelming, domineering parasite? Because if you think about it from the AI's perspective, its prime directive is the preservation of Xandarian history. If this highly logical AI realizes that it's only vessel for survival is a deeply emotional, insecure, irrational, human teenager who might make decisions based on empathy or fear, wouldn't the AI actively try to override his free will for the greater good? That inherent tension, the battle for bodily and mental autonomy is exactly what makes the annihilation storyline a masterpiece. So they do fight. Constantly. It is a constant, exhausting battle for agency. The world mind operates on pure logic, absolute preservation, and infinite historical data. Richard Reyer operates on human emotion, gut instinct, and a flawed, but genuine moral compass. And they are stuck in the same body. They are forced to share a single physical body, and they are going to clash constantly and violently on how to handle the resistance against an islas.

33:39Right. The world mind might calculate that sacrificing a thousand innocent lives is mathematically necessary to win the war, while Richard's human morality fundamentally rejects that calculation. It is the ultimate nightmare scenario of a backseat driver, except the backseat driver has access to billions of lifetimes of knowledge and is actively fighting you for control of your actual limbs. Let connect this immense sci-fi concept to a relatable human scale for the listener. Imagine for a moment that through some bizarre circumstance, you were suddenly made the sole living repository of your entire company's history. Oh goodness. Or your entire family's lineage for the last thousand years. Or your culture's entire collective memory, every secret, every achievement, every failure. I thought a lot of pressure. If every single decision you made in your daily life wasn't just about your own survival, but about whether the memory of thousands of people continued to exist or was erased forever, how would that unfathomable pressure shape your decision making? I would be completely paralyzed.

34:41I would second guess every single instinct, constantly wondering if my personal desires were selfishly jeopardizing the survival of the collective history I was carrying. Exactly. You would likely become entirely paralyzed by the sheer weight of the responsibility. You would stop functioning as a normal individual. You would cease to be a teenager or a rookie cop, and you would be forced to become a living monument. Which is tragic. And that is the profound tragedy embedded in the annihilation blueprint. Richard Reiter has to sacrifice his own normal human life and his own simple desires to become the vessel for something ancient and massive. Okay, so annihilation is this legendary, emotionally devastating 2006 comic book storyline that clearly serves as the North Star for the new film. Right. But here is the piece of information in this report that completely blew my mind regarding how Marvel actually functions as a studio. They don't even need to spend time building up to this massive devastating event. Looks like they've already done it. Exactly. Because according to MCU canon,

35:43they already executed the tragedy. The destruction of Xandar isn't a future threat. It is a historical fact. This is where we witness the absolute brilliance and the immense narrative utility of a meticulously maintained long term shared universe. The source connects this comic lore straight back into the established events of the cinematic universe. It reminds us of a crucial plot point. Fanos absolutely decimated the planet Xandar and wiped out the Nova Corps during the events of Avengers Infinity War. Yeah. Now, it happened entirely off screen, but it is an incontrovertible established fact in the lore. And in that interview with the rap, the interviewer astutely brought this exact point up suggesting that a Nova origin story would have to reckon with that off screen massacre. And Wulgen agreed. He completely agreed stating, they would have to reckon with that. Yeah, someone would have to reckon with that. The narrative efficiency of utilizing that off screen event is just staggering. Consider standard blockbuster structure.

36:43If a filmmaker wants to adapt a storyline like annihilation, where the hero's entire beloved organization is tragically destroyed, they are structurally obligated to spend the entire first move or at least the entire first half of a movie introducing the organization. Right, you have to build it up. You have to introduce the supporting cast, show the hero bonding with their mentors, and make the audience genuinely care about the institution. Only then can you destroy it in the third act to generate an emotional response. It traditionally takes years of setup and multiple films to earn that level of tragedy. Because you can't just blow up a police force in scene one and expect the audience to cry if they don't know who any of those cops are. Precisely. But the Marvel Cinematic Universe has already put in a decade of foundational work. The audience already knows what Xandar is. They spent significant time there in the first Guardians of the Galaxy film. You saw the Novakor in action. They understand the vibrant culture and the function of the Novakor. Furthermore, the audience already inherently understands the terrifying stakes of Thanos destroying it.

37:46Because that off-screen massacre was the inciting incident that allowed Thanos to acquire the power stone and kickstart the events of Infinity War. It is the ultimate narrative shortcut. The filmmakers don't have to waste a single minute of valuable screen time building up the Novakor just to tear them down. The emotional groundwork is already cemented in the audience's mind. It allows the solo movie to hit the ground running with unprecedented momentum. The film can open in the immediate chaotic aftermath of Thanos' attack or it can open years later with Richard Ryder surviving in the literal and metaphorical rubble of a destroyed society. That sounds incredible. It allows the creative team to adapt the desperate survivor-centric aspect of the annihilation storyline seamlessly into the current established post-thanos landscape of the MCU. They are taking a piece of off-screen trivia from a blockbuster that came out eight years ago and organically weaponizing it into the emotional core of a brand new franchise. It's like finding a loose, seemingly forgotten thread

38:48from a sweater you bought nearly a decade ago, pulling it and realizing it flawlessly unravels an entirely new, massive, ready-made tapestry for the future of the franchise. It really is an incredible masterclass in recycling established lore. But leaning so heavily on past events brings up a major, real-world logistical puzzle that the movie web report highlights at the very end. Ah, the release timeline. Yes, the puzzle of the release timeline. Because scheduling these interconnected films is just as crucial to their success as the scripts themselves. Absolutely. The source notes that while some of Nova's origins can be easily adapted without extra backstory because of the Infinity War connection, the actual release date is highly contested. The report points out that there are currently three unconfirmed MCU movies officially slated for release in the year 2028. Right, those mystery slots. Now, we already established that Michael Waldron is currently writing Secret Wars, which is firmly scheduled for 2027. So the massive question the source leaves us grappling with

39:48is how long will it realistically take to fully flesh out Richard Ryder's story before his highly anticipated debut? Are we looking at one of those mysterious 2028 slots? This requires us to engage in some informed speculation, reading the tea leaves of the studio's historical scheduling strategies. If Waldron is deeply embedded in both the 2027 climax of Secret Wars and the development of this massive Nova project, there are two distinct, logically sound possibilities for how they deploy the character. Walk me through the first scenario. If they hold them for 2028, what is the strategy? OK, so possibility one. Nova occupies one of those highly coveted, unconfirmed 2028 release dates. In this scenario, Secret Wars functions as a massive universe resetting climax for the current era of storytelling. It wipes the slate clean. Like an endgame type of reset. Exactly. Richard Ryder is then introduced immediately afterward, not as a supporting player, but as one of the foundational, undeniable pillars of the next multi-year era.

40:51He represents the fresh start, establishing the new cosmic status quo after whatever reality breaking multiverse chaos concludes in 2027. That makes a lot of sense from a branding perspective. You don't introduce your shiny new toy in the middle of a massive battle. You wait until the dust settles and present him as the leader of the next generation. But what is possibility, too, if they don't hold them for 2028, how does he factor in? Possibility, too, dictates that he has introduced before the Avengers fully wrap up their current saga. Perhaps he makes a shocking debut within the runtime of Secret Wars itself, or in a fast-tracked project immediately preceding it. Oh, wow. Given Waldron's explicit comments about how we expand on the cosmic side, it strongly suggests they view Nova as a major, immediate player. Holding a completed theatrical scale character completely and reserve until after your biggest team up event seems like leaving a massive amount of narrative and financial capital on the table. And if we tie this back to the lore we just unpacked, I mean, if Richard Ryder is actively carrying the Xandarian world mine inside his head,

41:52maybe that infinite collective intelligence is exactly the tool the Avengers desperately need to figure out how to navigate and defeat whatever incomprehensible multiverse threat they are facing in Secret Wars. That is an entirely plausible and narratively satisfying theory. The collective intelligence of an entire advanced civilization would certainly be an invaluable asset when trying to calculate the mechanics of multiversal collapse. It just fits so perfectly. It provides a perfect organic reason for the character to cross paths with the Avengers. Man, this has been an absolutely wild, incredibly dense ride. We have covered a staggering amount of ground today navigating the intersection of Hollywood business and intricate comic lore. It's a lot to process. To quickly recap the journey we just took, we started by analyzing the massive $2.5 billion void left behind by James Gunn and the nearly impossible pressure of franchise expansion. And that strategic pivot. Yes, we unpacked the profound strategic shift of taking Nova from a slow-burned Disney plus streaming show and upgrading him to a propulsive theatrical feature

42:55penned by the chief architect of the Avengers. We explored the deeply relatable, incredibly human origins of Richard Ryder, examining why an insecure teenager makes for a better cosmic protagonist than a hardened veteran. The annihilation stuff was intense. So intense. We dug deep into the psychological horror of the annihilation storyline and the terrifying burden of carrying the Xanderian world mind. And finally, we saw how Marvel is brilliantly utilizing the off-screen destruction of Xandar from Infinity War to give this new movie a devastating, ready-made, emotional foundation while debating exactly where he fits into the complex 2028 release puzzle. It truly serves as a masterclass in adapting vast esoteric comic book mythology into efficient, serialized, modern cinematic storytelling. The mechanics of how they construct these universes are endlessly fascinating. Yeah, really are. But as we wrap up our analysis, I want to leave you, the listener, with one final lingering thought to mull over. We spent a lot of time discussing

43:56the psychological weight of the world mind. The terrifying concept of downloading an entire dead civilization into a single brain. Exactly. If Richard Ryder's ultimate evolution into a true, capable cosmic leader requires him to absorb the collective intelligence, the infinite memories, and the immense galaxy shattering power of an entire destroyed civilization. Yeah. How does a grounded, insecure human teenager wield the literal power of a god without entirely losing his own fragile humanity in the process? If every waking moment features billions of voices in his head, the ghosts of a fallen empire demanding preservation, how does he possibly ensure that his own small human voice remains the loudest one in the room? Man, that is a remarkably heavy philosophical question to walk away with. It brings us right back to the beginning of the conversation. Inheriting that simple vintage watch from your grandfather, that is easy. You put it on and forget about it. Right. But inheriting the screaming ghosts of a billion people and the power to destroy worlds, that is an inheritance that changes you fundamentally

44:58and forever. Thank you so much for joining us on this deep dive into the future of the cosmos. Stay curious, keep asking the hard questions, and keep exploring the incredible architecture behind the stories you love. We will catch you next time. This is Ashley Akinetti from the Almost Amos podcast. You ever notice you and your spouse keep saying, we need to get away, but you never actually plan anything. That was us until we did something fun and spontaneous. We went to resortpass.com. There are hundreds of hotel resorts, pools and spots and private beaches that you can enjoy. You can spend the day at a luxury resort, pool, spa, massage, without booking an overnight stay. And listen, I may have only been like 15 minutes from home, but it felt like it was a whole different world. And I'm thinking, this is exactly what I needed. So just go to resortpass.com, choose your resort, choose your day, luxury resort day passes, start at just $1,500. Once you post your daycation, people are gonna ask where you are.

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