With the first year of Phase 4 coming to a close, the MCU is truly bigger than ever as different corners dive into mystical threats, cosmic chaos, street-level crime, world-threatening disasters, and even Multiverse adventures. As many old favorite heroes bid farewell, the MCU has already begun introducing many new characters, and recent rumors suggest another may be on the way soon with Ghost Rider.
Ghost Rider has gone through many iterations over the years of Marvel Comics with the most famous being Johnny Blaze, Danny Ketch, and Robbie Reyes. Nicholas Cage previously portrayed Blaze in two divisive movies in the early 2000s while Gabriel Luna recently played Reyes in Agents of SHIELD.
As the Spirit of Vengeance speeds his way into the MCU, social media is on fire with speculation as to who should play the character, and one fan-favorite seems to have his eyes set on the role.
The Walking Dead Star Campaigns for Ghost Rider Role
The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus recently fueled speculation he may be in talks to play the MCU's Ghost Rider after sharing an Instagram post from @marvelmovies on Twitter that suggested him for the role.
The original Instagram post featured a fan-made concept of Reedus as the Spirit of Vengeance alongside a caption that noted that the actor had recently been liking many tweets campaigning for his casting.
Gabriel Luna - who played the Robbie Reyes iteration of Ghost Rider on Agents of SHIELD - also shared his interest in reprising his role in the MCU as he re-tweeted a post from artist BossLogic calling for his return.
Luna accompanied his retweet with the hashtag "stay ready so you don't have to get ready," implying his readiness to reprise his Spirit of Vengeance role.
All this #GhostRider talk, I want to see the MCU run it back with @IamGabrielLuna pic.twitter.com/ixC1KmLlrW
Who Will Play the MCU's Ghost Rider?
Discussion around the MCU's Ghost Rider has reached an all-time high recently following rumors Marvel is in talks with an actor for the role. Despite this, there is currently no confirmation of a Spirit of Vengeance film or series on the way or even any suggestion of him popping up in an upcoming project.
Whenever Ghost Rider does come into play, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and the studio itself will have a tough time deciding which version of the character to focus on. Although fans should expect the MCU to opt for either Blaze or Ketch with a new actor in the role in order to stay separate from the Agents of SHIELD interpretation.
Gabriel Luna's Robbie Reyes may one day return to the MCU in a similar fashion to Charlie Cox's Daredevil or Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin but probably strictly as a side character while a new iteration of Ghost Rider takes the lead.
Alternatively, with so many famous takes on the character, a buddy-cop-inspired Ghost Rider solo outing starring multiple Spirits of Vengeance speeding through the streets and taking on spiritual threats could also be a lot of fun.
The leading fan-casts for Ghost Rider - regardless of which interpretation the MCU opts for - have been The Walking Dead's Norman Reedus and John Wick's Keanu Reeves. While Reeves may have once been an excellent choice for the role, at 57-years-old, he may not be looking to hang around in the MCU for as long as this role would require.
Reedus has been playing a leading role in The Walking Dead for over a decade now as the motorbike-riding zombie-slaying bad-ass Daryl Dixon. With the AMC series finally wrapping up in 2022, the Florida-born actor will certainly be searching for a new role to take on, and he seems to have set his sights on the MCU.
As rumors heat up surrounding Ghost Rider, perhaps fans may finally hear an announcement surrounding the character next year at either San-Diego Comic-Con in July or Disney's D23 event in September.
