Phase Five for the Marvel Cinematic Universe will have plenty of sequels, but also introductions to new characters we haven't seen before in this universe. For instance, Reed Richards and his family will eventually stop by.
Blade is already confirmed to be played by Mahershala Ali. Also, the X-Men are going to have a presence way down the line too. However, there's a human rocket out there that could get his own solo movie with the MCU.
That human rocket is known as Nova.
Rumors have swirled around saying he'll have a movie set in Phase Five, as Kevin Feige himself has stated the character has "immediate potential". It hasn't been officially confirmed yet, but there's no reason to believe it couldn't happen. The Nova Corps have already been shown in
Guardians of the Galaxy, so the groundwork is already cemented there.
For those who are unfamiliar with Nova, just think of Green Lantern; but instead of a powerful ring, he has a helmet. Richard Rider, who was the first Nova in the comics back in 1976, was chosen at random by the Nova Corp's elite to be their next member on planet Xandar. Powers wise, he has the cosmical basics. Super speed (in flight), super strength, energy projection and absorption. Bottom line, there's a reason why he's called The Human Rocket.
Now that you know a little more about him, what exactly can he offer to the MCU? Well, he'd give a new genre to the MCU that hasn't really been touched before yet. For example,
Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a spy thriller.
Guardians 1 & 2 were space operas. Let's not forget how
Spider-Man: Homecoming was basically a coming of age, high school comedy. For Nova, it would practically be a police procedural with superheros.
It's something the MCU hasn't really tackled before, and if done right, could be a huge hit. You would have a rookie in Richard Rider trying to learn the ropes of being a Nova Corps member, which is imaginably a lot harder than being a small-town cop.
Last but not least, Nova is a hero that can stand on his own. He has a plethora of material and characters around him, so there isn't a reason to force him into the next Avengers movie just because. Also, Richard Rider is about as relatable as they come (you know, besides the crazy superpowers). He's not rich like Tony Stark or T'Challa. He's not born with powers like Thor. He's not even a genius like Peter Parker. Richard Rider is just an average dude, with a bad luck badge and a certificate in nothing special. So when he gets these unusual and amazing powers, that's where you really root for him to succeed.
Overall, Nova could be the MCU's next big solo star along with Spider-Man and Black Panther. No one ever imagined the Guardians to be as big as they are now. So hopefully, Nova has that same "underdog to superstar" story. When an actual Nova movie could come out is unknown for now. There's currently three untitled Marvel projects set in 2022, and four of them in 2023. Time will tell, but it'll be an exciting development nonetheless.