Is Ghost Rider in the MCU? The Answer Is Not Fully Clear!

One of Marvel’s most early and popular superheroes was Ghost Rider. The Spirit of Vengeance has been around since the early days of Marvel and has since had two live-action films and appeared in ‘Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Fans wonder if Ghost Rider already exists in the MCU, and if he doesn’t, will he ever make an appearance? If so, which one? Due to the character’s popularity, it would make sense to include the character, right? Here’s our breakdown of whether or not Ghost Rider exists in the Marvel Cinematic Universe! 

It is very likely that Ghost Rider will appear in the MCU and that he was already included in it. Robbie Reyes appeared in ‘Agents of ‘S.H.I.E.LD,’ which was intended to be canon when it came out, but it has not been referenced since. As far as we know, Nicholas Cage’s Ghost Rider is not part of the MCU, but there has been no official confirmation of this. While nothing has been officially confirmed, it would be no surprise if Marvel did have a Ghost Rider project in the works, but whether or not it would be a Disney+ project or feature film remains to be seen.

Now that we have briefly discussed what we think about Ghost Rider being in the MCU, let’s analyze it in more detail! If you’re interested in the three main Ghost Riders, what version MCU might use, and how they go about it, stay with us and keep reading! 

Who are the three main Ghost Riders?

In the comics, there have been three main people who have become Ghost Riders. The original is Johnny Blaze, his brother, Danny Ketch, and the most recent, Robbie Reyes. Both Johnny Blaze and Danny Ketch wielded the Spirit of Vengeance, but Robbie Reyes had a much different origin and source of power.

Johnny Blaze was the son of stunt performer Barton Blaze and followed in his father’s footsteps in the same career. When Johnny finds out that his father has lung cancer, he makes a deal with the demon Mephisto to spare his father’s life. While Barton survives the cancer, he dies not long after in a motorcycle crash.  After the accident, Johnny Blaze is forced to possess the Spirit of Vengeance and becomes Ghost Rider.

Danny Ketch was the brother of Johnny Blaze but they got separated when they were very young. When Danny was a teenager, he and his sister went to a graveyard so his sister could take some photos. While they were there, a fight broke out between two gangs, and Danny’s sister got caught in the crossfire, getting shot in the chest. He then takes her unconscious body to a nearby junkyard and comes across the motorcycle of Johnny Blaze. Once he touches it, he turns into a Ghost Rider and tortures every one of the gang members. 

Robbie Reyes had a much different origin to the other two. Reyes lived alone with his younger brother, who he acted as a carer for. One night, when he was trying to make more money, he entered a street race using a haunted car belonging to his deceased uncle.

After being shot at by gang members, Robbie’s uncle’s spirit reached out to him and gave him another chance to live. In a similar form to Ghost Rider, Robbie discovers that his uncle was a serial killer and agrees to kill as Ghost Rider, but only those who deserve it. 

Is Nicholas Cage’s Ghost Rider in the MCU?

There is no official confirmation of Cage’s Johnny Blaze being in the MCU. It would be no shock. However, if Nicholas Cage did return, it would make sense due to the MCU’s Multiverse Saga’. With multiverse projects like ‘Deadpool 3’ and ‘Avengers Secret Wars,’ it would be a great treat to fans to have him return, especially with other past Marvel actors returning like Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart.

What version would the MCU use?

So far, both Johnny Blaze and Robbie Reyes have appeared in live-action. Nicholas Cage played Johnny Blaze in ‘Ghost Rider’ (2007) and ‘Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance’ (2011). We also got a slight appearance of Johnny Blaze in ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D,’ which did resemble Cage’s version but not played by him.

In ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D,’ Gabriel Luna played Robbie Reyes. He was slightly altered from the comics as an older Ghost Rider gave him the Spirit of Vengeance and was also aged up as opposed to his comic book counterpart, who is in high school. It’s unclear if ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D,’ is canon to the current MCU as it was intended to be at the time but has never been referenced since. 

It would not be a surprise if the MCU went with Robbie Reyes, as he is the most recent of the Ghost Riders. He originally intended to get his own show years ago, but it did not come to fruition. However, they may want to go with Danny Ketch as he hasn’t been adapted before, which could give them a fresh slate. Ryan Gosling has also expressed interest in playing the character, and he would be the perfect fit for either Johnny Blaze or Danny Ketch. 

If they were to use Robbie Reyes, it would not be surprising if they brought Gabriel Luna back to the role as they have brought other characters from TV shows like Daredevil and soon-to-be Punisher. Although it would be possible, they went with a younger actor for Reyes like he is in the comics.

While it is possible Ghost Rider could be an antagonist due to his more brutal nature, he is an anti-hero in the comics, and the MCU would most likely portray him in that light. They will unlikely make him a villain as he has never necessarily been a villain in the comics and has worked alongside teams like the Avengers.

They could go the route of a pre-established Ghost Rider with Blaze or Ketch and have either one of them or even both of them teach Robbie Reyes how to control his powers. That way, we would have an already existing Ghost Rider while giving audiences a new one to grow with.

Do you want to see Ghost Rider in the MCU? Let us know in the comments!