“I was supposed to meet with Kevin Feige”: Brandon Sklenar Breaks Silence on His MCU Debut as Nova Rumors
- Brandon Sklenar talks about his rumored Marvel Cinematic Universe debut.
- Sklenar shared about a DC role that he'd love to play if given a chance.
- Brandon Sklenar picks between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni
Actor Brandon Sklenar is widely known for portraying Atlas Corrigan in the Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni starrer It Ends With Us. Critics gave the movie mixed reviews, but they appreciated his performance. Sklenar has also been a part of projects including Mapplethorpe, Vice, Midway, Indigo Valley, and more. He will be seen in an upcoming mystery thriller, Drop, opposite Meghann Fahy.
Brandon Sklenar is also known for playing Spencer Dutton on Taylor Sheridan’s 1923 from 2022 to the present. The series serves as a sequel to 1883 and a prequel to Yellowstone. 1923, just like Yellowstone, has been received well by the critics and the audience, and Sklenar as Spencer Dutton has been lauded. In a recent interview, the actor addresses his MCU debut.
Brandon Sklenar talks about his probable MCU debut with Nova
According to reports, It Ends With Us star Brandon Sklenar has been rumored to play Richard Rider in the upcoming Marvel Studios’ series Nova. The upcoming project has been one of the most highly requested projects, with studios confirming last year that they are developing the series.
Brad Winderbaum, Head of Streaming, Television, and Animation at Marvel Studios, shared with ComicBook in September 2024,
So Nova’s in development right now. We are. But I will say we’re developing more than we make. This is part of the new Marvel. But we should talk about this because at Marvel everything has a spotlight on it, and everyone gets super excited, and we love Nova.
He noted further that the studios want to get the series right, but it’s in development, adding that they’ve got a few things in development. Richard Rider is reportedly the Nova most fans are familiar with who rose to prominence in the ‘90s as a member of the New Warriors. A young teen, Nova, Sam Alexander, was introduced in the animated Ultimate Spider-Man series. It is, as of now, not clear which character is going to lead the series.
However, in his conversation with The Playlist, actor Brandon Sklenar, who is gearing up for the release of the second and final season of 1923, was asked about the rumors of him being Richard Rider. The actor said,
Yes, I heard about that. It was news to me. I think I was supposed to meet with [Marvel Studios/Marvel Television] at some point here…with Kevin Feige. We’ll see. That would be cool.
During the same interview, he also expressed his desire to play Batman in the new DCU, stating that he has seen a bunch of fans casting for Batman in The Brave & The Bold.
He noted that it seemed interesting to him, and it would be a dream come true for him if he played the part.
Brandon Sklenar picks Team It Ends With Us
The actor who appeared on CBS Morning to promote the upcoming season of 1923 was asked by Gayle King to pick a side, Team Blake Lively or Team Justin Baldoni. Brandon Sklenar appeared in It Ends With Us alongside Lively and Baldoni and promoted the movie with the actress.
After Gayle King asked him the question, the actor simply said he’s Team It Ends With Us. He added (via People),
I just want people to remember why we made the movie in the first place and what it stands for and keep the focus on that. I have someone very close to me who’s gone through what Lively’s character is going through for a long time, and I’ve been on the front lines helping her navigate that space, so that movie meant a lot to me, and it means a lot to her.
The actor also added that it was one of the major reasons why he said yes to the movie, as it gave that person the strength to change her life. Sklenar mentioned that it’s unfortunate that things get taken away from what the ethos of that thing is, and it gets convoluted.
Brandon Sklenar did not pick a side but instead urged the audience to focus on the message of the movie, to understand the crux of it, and why it was needed. It Ends With Us’ main themes were domestic violence and emotional abuse. Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s trial is scheduled for March 2026.
It Ends With Us is streaming on Netflix.
1923 season 2 will premiere on February 23, 2025 on Paramount+.
