Sometimes critical failures like recent box office bomb Robin Hood can still offer glimpses of hidden greatness. In the case of Robin Hood, the diamond in the rough is, without a doubt, Taron Egerton. And while Otto Bathurst's unneeded retelling of the legendary fable doesn't give Egerton much to work with, he manages to still showcase the action movie prowess and leading man charm we've come to associate with the young actor. It's those brief glimpses in Robin Hood, coupled with his previous work, that reveals the ongoing potential of Egerton, and what that could hopefully mean for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Egerton has played a number of interesting roles over the years, including underdog ski jumper Eddie Edwards in Eddie the Eagle, and Elton John in the upcoming biopic Rocketman. His most well-known and loved role to date is as Gary 'Eggsy' Unwin in Matthew Vaughn's Kingsman franchise, based on the Mark Millar comic. Kingsman: The Secret Service offered our first look at the action-potential of Egerton, as we watched the character of Eggsy become a skilled super spy that definitely required extensive pre-production training.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle proved to be another great outing for Egerton's Eggsy, but also may have proven to be the character's downfall. Golden Circle masterfully built up the world around Eggsy and the rest of the Kingsman, which could definitely lead to more great stories in the franchise, but ones that don't necessarily need Eggsy anymore. This seems to be something Egerton realized after the sequel, as he recently revealed that he would not return as Eggsy for the upcoming Kingsman prequel. 

RELATED: REVIEW: Robin Hood Fails On Virtually Every Level

Presumably, Robin Hood was Egerton's next option to lead an action-heavy franchise. However, despite the film's attempts to set up a narrative universe around Hood and his Merry Men, the box office will probably steer the franchise to a different fate. But that doesn't mean the film was a total wash when it comes to Egerton's continuing growth as a heroic film star. He further developed his action skill set, including archery and wire work, while continuing to excel at fight choreography. Following the natural evolution of his rising star, it seems clear what the next step for Taron Egerton is -- superhero. After all, as Alfred said in Batman Begins: "What is the point of all those push-ups if you can't even lift a bloody log?"

Egerton's years of training are leading to an inevitable superheroic role, and there is no better place for that to happen right now than the MCU. With Marvel Studios' wildly successful shared cinematic universe heading towards an unknown future after the upcoming Avengers 4, Egerton could easily step in to lead a new wave of MCU films alongside other, newer stars, like Brie Larson's Captain Marvel and fellow up-and-comer Tom Holland's Spider-Man. Spider-Man: Homecoming helped prove that a teen hero can lead a successful superhero franchise, and with a franchise full of stars who have spent many years in the MCU already, a new wave of young actors and heroes is the safest bet for Marvel Studios.

NEXT PAGE: Who Should Taron Egerton Play in the MCU?

So, who should Egerton play in the MCU? None other than Richard Rider, Nova -- the Human Rocket. Now, if the name sounds familiar, it's because we were first introduced to the Nova Corps in James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy. The planetary police force worked alongside the Guardians to defend Xandar from Ronan, all while teasing fans with the prospect of a larger mythology. That larger comic mythology involves human Richard Rider, who is selected as the last Nova after the destruction of Xandar. Initially, Rider is able to fly at superhuman speeds while possessing enhanced strength and endurance. Eventually, Nova levels up in a big way when he interacts with the Xandarian Worldmind, a living supercomputer that allows Rider to access the full powers of the Nova Force. These include the ability to create wormholes, manipulate energy and other gravimetric forces, effectively moving him from a street-level Earth hero to a cosmic force to be reckoned with.

In the MCU, Xandar was recently destroyed by Thanos to obtain the Power Stone. Unfortunately, what was surely a monumental battle happens off-screen, prior to the events of Avengers: Infinity War. This led many to believe that Marvel Studios was potentially saving that climactic battle scene for further development in a potential Nova film, which Kevin Feige previously said has "immediate potential." Nova's connection to the Guardians and importance to the possible future of the cosmic MCU makes his inclusion in future waves a no-brainer, and Egerton is the perfect choice to play the man behind the helmet.

RELATED: Marvel Studios Chief Sees 'Immediate Potential' for Nova

It's important to note that while we don't officially know of any other MCU films besides Captain America, Avengers 4 and Spider-Man: Far From Home, Marvel Studios definitely has plans underway that they aren't revealing. This means it's entirely possible that plans are in place for a Nova film, with an actor potentially already in the process of being cast. Given Marvel Studios' ongoing devotion to secrecy, especially following Infinity War's cliffhanger, it's likely we won't hear anything about such a project until Marvel is ready to reveal it (or it leaks).

We still have to push Egerton up for the role regardless, because, let's face it, Richard Rider is Eggsy. A poor, troubled youth with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove is given the opportunity to be a part of something big in order to save the world. While Eggsy certainly has a few more father issues to deal with, Rider and Eggsy both have to deal with serious confidence issues that their respective roles as Nova and Kingsman allow them to grow past and become their best. It's a tried and true tale of heroism that we've seen Egerton nail in Kingsman. However, Nova ups the ante considerably by taking the story cosmic, adding visually amazing powers and a copious amount of alien life, all while giving Egerton the professional challenge an actor of his caliber looks for in a new role.

So, while Egerton may not appear in a third Kingsman film, and it's likely there won't be another Robin Hood, they both helped prepare this young actor for a bright future that we hope lands him in the MCU as Nova the Human Rocket. Until then, you can catch Captain Marvel on March 8, 2019, Avengers 4 on May 3, 2019 and Spider-Man: Far From Home on July 5, 2019.