Ghost Rider, Marvel's Spirit of Vengeance, with his fiery motorcycle and threatening visage, already has a few live-action appearances under his belt. Fan-favorite actor, Nicholas Cage turned in two performances as the Rider in feature films from 2007 and 2011. The character was also featured in a season-long arc on Agents of SHIELD, portrayed by Gabriel Luna.
There was also a live-action Ghost Rider series in development under Jeph Loeb's Marvel Television division, but it was canceled even before it aired due to Marvel TV being dissolved and Marvel Studios taking over. The word given for the stoppage on Luna's project was due to Marvel Studios having plans for the character in the MCU, and reports have claimed that a Ghost Rider-focused project has been in development since 2020.
Now, it seems the rumor mill surrounding Ghost Rider is heating up again. In a now-deleted tweet, scooper Charles Murphy claimed Marvel has indeed chosen an actor for Ghost Rider in the MCU.
Is Ghost Rider Coming To An MCU Project?
According to a tweet from scooper Charles Murphy, Marvel Studios is reportedly meeting with an actor to discuss the role of Ghost Rider in the MCU. Presumably, it's the actor whom Murphy previously claimed that Marvel was looking at.
Murphy claims that no one has officially been cast, but Marvel is "talking with someone:"
"I have at no time said Ghost Rider was cast. I did say they were talking with someone. I said he would be great IF THEY CLOSED THE DEAL. Please quit attributing this to me. It's false."
Johnny Blaze? Danny Ketch? Robbie Reyes?
It will be interesting to see which incarnation of Ghost Rider that Marvel Studios ends up going with. After all, there have been a number of Riders on the pages of the comics.
Another pressing question: Where will Ghost Rider first appear? The MCU seems to be delving into the horror side of things, albeit in dribs and drabs.
Mahershala Ali is playing the half-vampire, Blade, in an upcoming film and has already made his first (off-screen) appearance in the post-credits scene of Eternals. And speaking of vampires, the creatures were namedropped in an episode of Loki.
Additionally, Marvel Studios is said to be developing a Halloween Special for 2022 in the form of Werewolf by Night. Not to mention that the forthcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was initially billed as a horror film.
Ghost Rider would snap into any of these horror-tinged properties quite easily and whether Marvel goes with Johnny Blaze as Ghost Rider, with the traditional flaming motorcycle, or Robbie Reyes, who prefers a Dodge Charger, fans will be in for a treat when the fearsome antihero rolls up to the MCU.
