‘Ghost Rider’ Writer Benjamin Percy Makes the Case for a Horror MCU Film
Marvel Studios has spent years proving it can stretch beyond capes, quips and cosmic stakes. A true horror film inside the MCU has stayed on fans’ wish lists, and the idea keeps gaining momentum as the studio’s next supernatural hero gets closer to the screen. Now one of the writers who gave Ghost Rider his recent comic-book revival has a clear opinion on what a horror MCU film should look like.
Benjamin Percy wrote Marvel’s ‘Ghost Rider’ comic series between 2022 and 2023, and his run is viewed as some of the best lore the character has had in years. It earned praise for its nods to 1970s cult and underground horror, occult stories and Lovecraftian tales. He is also the writer of the new Audible sci-fi thriller series ‘Exoplanet’.
In an exclusive conversation with ComicBook.com, Percy said that as a self-described horror head, this is his time. When asked whether Marvel Studios is long overdue to launch a horror corner of the MCU, he answered, “We live in a golden age of horror. It’s time.”
His take is more specific than a general plea. He said Marvel should lean toward an R-rated horror version of the character rather than the standard cape-and-spandex approach, which he said can work well for a storyline like ‘Doomsday’ or an X-Men story. He wants body horror and a truly hellish version of Ghost Rider on screen.
The timing is no accident. Kevin Feige announced a ‘Ghost Rider’ film at San Diego Comic-Con in July, with Ryan Gosling in the title role and Shawn Levy directing from a screenplay by Jonathan Tropper. Disney later set the release date for July 28, 2028.
Marvel hasn’t revealed plot details, and it hasn’t confirmed whether Gosling will play Johnny Blaze or Robbie Reyes. Reports on October 27 added that Connor Storrie is in talks to join the film as a villain and that Linus Sandgren will serve as the cinematographer. The film lands in a busy 2028 slate that also includes an X-Men reboot on May 5 and ‘Black Panther 3’ on December 15.
The character’s earlier big-screen outings, including the 2007 film starring Nicolas Cage and its sequel ‘Spirit of Vengeance’, were both rated PG-13. A flaming-skull antihero who hunts the guilty has always felt like a better fit for something harder-edged, and Percy’s comic run showed how well that tone can work.
The MCU also now has precedent for pushing its ratings. ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ became the first R-rated MCU film and grossed $1.33 billion worldwide, which proved audiences will show up for adult-oriented Marvel. Feige has also said the Blade reboot would likely be rated R, noting that the earlier Blade movies all were.
The studio has dipped its toes into the genre before. ‘Werewolf by Night’, the 2022 Halloween special, was a homage to classic monster movies, and Feige said at the time that it introduced a world that would become quite important to the MCU. Critics found it a largely enjoyable comedy-horror, though some noted it stayed firmly rooted in the familiar MCU formula and wasn’t truly scary.
That reaction is the gap Percy is pointing at. A real horror film, with dread and body horror at its core, would be a very different experience from Marvel’s playful spooky specials.
Percy is also exploring horror within Marvel’s comics, so he is well placed to speak on the subject. His comments don’t mean the ‘Ghost Rider’ film will follow his suggestion, and Marvel hasn’t commented on the tone of the project. But with the film locked for summer 2028, the debate about how scary it should be is just getting started.
What kind of Ghost Rider movie would you prefer?
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