In reply to a comment posted on James Gunn’s official Facebook page, the director has confirmed there are no plans for Nova to appear in the Guardians of the Galaxy sequel, currently slated to hit cinemas on 5 May 2017.

In a post entitled ‘CARTS BEFORE HORSES & HOLLYWOOD’S NEW LOVE OF SHARED UNIVERSES’, Gunn explains his position on the shared universe effect currently making the rounds such as those found in the Man of Steel and Batman franchises, where audiences are led to believe that all characters exist in one “shared universe” – especially on show in next year’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and the majority of Marvel’s cinematic properties.

Professing that “studios are trying to grow trees without strong seeds”, Gunn replied to a comment on the post simply stating that Nova’s exclusion from the Guardians follow-up “serves the entire movie going audience and not just the handful of Nova fans… I have nothing against Nova in future movies, but it doesn’t serve the movie right this moment.”

So there you have it, Nova fans – it looks like you’ll have to wait a while to see the character on-screen. Are you happy he’s being sidelined until wider audiences are ready for him, or do you wish he was present in the Guardians sequel?