This isn't the first time that Ghost Rider has shown up in a Hollywood production, as there have been two previous movies based on the character, and the supernatural antihero was also part of the MCU before in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The movies star Nicolas Cage as Johnny Blaze, the original character who became the first supernatural Ghost Rider in Marvel Comics. The television appearance was Gabriel Luna as Robbie Reyes, the modern-day Ghost Rider.
Based on the casting of Gosling, this is clearly the Blaze Ghost Rider, but this is also the start of something big for the MCU. Unlike the last Ghost Rider movies, which were locked behind the Sony banner, the character can now interact with other Marvel characters. It also should start a new side of the Marvel Universe, with a supernatural world that was supposed to launch previously on Hulu and now has a chance to kickstart the movie world's version of these iconic characters.
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The MCU Ghost Rider Can Actually Connect To The Marvel Supernatural World
The biggest thing to note about this announcement is that Ghost Rider will be part of the MCU, which means he can finally interact or at least live in the same world as the other heroes and villains in Marvel movies. Sony didn't just have Ghost Rider, but it also had Spider-Man, and the studio didn't come close to mixing those franchises. That will surely change with this announcement.
Ghost Rider can now interact with characters like Spider-Man, Daredevil, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four, and the story can still tie back into the past MCU version of Ghost Rider.. When Robbie Reyes appeared in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., it was strongly hinted that Robbie inherited the Ghost Rider mantle from a mysterious Rider who was strongly implied to be Johnny Blaze. This could finally pay off since the show was still part of the MCU world when Robbie appeared.
One thing that Sony seemed to do with Ghost Rider a lot was to throw away iconic characters without allowing them to grow. While Peter Fonda is inspired casting as Mephisto, he is called Mephistopheles and is only tangentially the Marvel character. By the second movie, he is recast as Ciaran Hinds, and once again he is a disappointment. With Sacha Baron Cohen in the MCU as Mephisto, this can finally be done right.
The second movie brings in Danny Ketch (another Ghost Rider in the comics), but he isn't the same character as the one from Marvel Comics. Wes Bentley is disappointing as Blackheart in the first movie and is completely wasted. Idris Elba plays Moreau, an original character not from the comics. Ghost Rider has some incredible storylines to follow in the comics, and the Sony movies ignored them for something much more generic.
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The Special Effects Are Miles Better In Today's Movies
The special effects in the Nicolas Cage Ghost Rider movies were fun for the time, but they have aged poorly. The film used advanced CGI effects at the time, but when the sequel came around and Neveldine/Taylor tried to push things as far as they could, the effects looked almost comical at times. It just doesn't hold up as well today, which is an argument for several comic book movies from the past.
Marvel has access to some of the best animation teams in Hollywood, and the new Ghost Rider movie should be miles better than the old films as a result. With a big name like Ryan Gosling in the lead, there is no way that Marvel will drop the ball on this movie, and this will almost surely be a display of CG excellence in the creation of Ghost Rider and his flaming motorcycle.
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Ryan Gosling's Ghost Rider Won't Be As Kitsch As Nic Cage
The biggest complaint about the Nicolas Cage Ghost Rider movies is that they came across as kitsch and had too much humor, jokey puns, and offbeat moments. This becomes even worse in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance when Neveldine/Taylor's aesthetic, which works so well in Crank, completely goes against the character of Ghost Rider. This is the Spirit of Vengeance, and he is not meant to be funny or to be put in even darkly humorous situations.
Based on how Kevin Feige leads the MCU, the new Ghost Rider movie is going to be a lot more loyal to the comics, which means less humor, no kitsch, and the story of a man who is damned but fights to control his own destiny. This all points to a more comics-accurate take, one that draws on the character's comic book supernatural mythology rather than the offbeat humor of the Cage films.
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The MCU's Ghost Rider Will Almost Surely Lead To Midnight Sons
Before the Ghost Rider announcement, the long-delayed Blade movie was the MCU's most anticipated supernatural project. Oscar winner Mahershala Ali signed on for the role, and his movie was set to arrive in the last MCU phase. It never arrived. Now, Ghost Rider is coming, and there is still no Blade movie, despite its tease in Eternals' post-credits scene. That said, this is expected to lead to Blade's arrival in a Midnight Sons movie.
Marvel has mentioned Midnight Sons before, and this should finally kickstart that team-up movie. When Marvel released Helstrom on Hulu, it was originally supposed to be followed by a Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider series, but the Robbie series was scrapped. Now, Marvel can finally fulfill that promise and bring the MCU a Midnight Sons movie, with Ghost Rider, Blade, Moon Knight, Werewolf by Night, and more supernatural characters to fill out this corner of the Marvel Universe.
Release Date
July 28, 2028
Director
Shawn Levy
Writers
Jonathan Tropper
Cast
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Johnny Blaze / Ghost Rider
English (US) ·