Ghost Rider is one of the most anticipated antiheroes expected to make an appearance in the MCU. There’s been no shortage of rumors for the role with actors such as Keanu Reeves, Ryan Gosling and Norman Reedus being fancast to portray the Spirit of Vengeance.
Several characters — men and women — have donned the moniker of Ghost Rider throughout the years, including Johnny Blaze, Danny Ketch, Alejandra Jones, Robbie Reyes, Michael Badilino, and Kushala. With such a wide variety of Ghost Riders, all three of the actors mentioned above could one day portray the Phantom Rider. In live action, Nicolas Cage starred as Johnny Blaze in the 2007 version of Ghost Rider, followed by the sequel in 2012. Tom McComas also portrayed Johnny Blaze in season four of the TV series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Gabriel Luna played Robbie Reyes in the same series.
While a character like Ghost Rider may have been a little out of left field a few years ago, since the Marvel Cinematic Universe introduced magic and darker elements into cannon, the Spirit of Vengeance would no longer feel out of place in the MCU. In fact, the character could probably be perfectly introduced in the following upcoming movies and Disney Plus shows.
Agatha: Coven of Chaos
Long before WandaVision revealed “it was Agatha all along,” hardcore Marvel comic book readers guessed the nosy neighbor’s secret identity. What many expected that didn’t pan out, however, was Agatha’s ties to Mephisto, Marvel’s equivalent to Satan. While that series didn’t introduce him, there is definitely a possibility he will appear during Agatha: Coven of Chaos. In the comics, Wanda Maximoff’s mental breakdown and the creation of her twins, Billy and Tommy, were all part of the larger picture, with Mephisto pulling the strings and being the boys’ true creator.
As the devil himself, Mephisto is powerful — powerful enough to place demons inside human bodies, hence Ghost Rider. Johnny Blaze, the first person to become the Spirit of Vengeance, made a deal with the devil to save his father’s life. If Mephisto is introduced in Agatha, it would also be a good chance to introduce him.
Daredevil: Born Again
Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock is returning to the small screen in Daredevil: Born Again in early 2024. Netflix’s beloved Daredevil had a mixture of dynamics that sometimes bordered on the supernatural, so Ghost Rider wouldn’t be out of the ordinary. The people possessing the demon known as Zarathos find their flesh consumed by hellfire when they are around evil at night. Although Daredevil made a cameo in the Disney Plus series She-Hulk, which is set in Los Angeles, the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen will be back to where he belongs in New York City.
Since the Big Apple is often conveyed as a highly dangerous city, especially at night, it would make for a lot of Ghost Rider action if he were to make an appearance in Born Again. The dynamic between Daredevil and Ghost Rider would be fantastic, especially since Daredevil can’t really “see” Ghost Rider. How Matt reacts to a flaming skull with his special sight would be interesting. If he thinks he’s the devil, what would he think of Ghost Rider?
Blade
Blade is set to return to the big screen after viewers were teased with Mahershala Ali’s voice speaking to Kit Harington’s Dane Whiteman in a post-credits scene for Eternals, asking him about the Ebony Blade. Ali is taking over the mantle of the day walking half-vampire from Wesley Snipes, who portrayed the slayer in the late ’90s and early 2000s.
Blade and Ghost Rider are both part of the Midnight Sons, a small group of supernatural superheroes that originally consisted of two Ghost Riders along with Blade and Morbius. Of course, throughout the history of the Midnight Sons, there have been several members, including Doctor Strange, Moon Knight, and Punisher, among others. As for the original team, Morbius has already been introduced in the MCU (well, sort of) and Blade is up next. If Ghost Rider appeared in the film, even as a cameo, it would mean the Midnight Sons is one step closer to fruition.
Deadpool 3
The third Deadpool movie is sure to shake up the MCU as we know it, especially if the gossip can be believed. Rumor has it that Owen Wilson’s Agent Mobius from the Loki series will appear in Deadpool 3. If the Time Variance Authority is on the case, that means Deadpool is running amok in the Multiverse, presumably to get rid of any versions of characters the MCU no longer wants, or to introduce variants of characters we have never seen before.
Deadpool could certainly get rid of all the previous versions of Ghost Rider to make room for whatever actor Kevin Feige has in mind for the coveted role. It would also be hilarious to see how the “Merc with a Mouth” reacts to see Ghost Rider in flames.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Team Ant-Man are about to face some craziness inside the Quantum Realm in the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Although Mephisto keeps his demons locked up in the Dark Dimension in the comics, who’s to say it isn’t a section of the Quantum Realm? If Ant-Man were to find Hell itself inside the Quantum Realm, it would be a good way to introduce Mephisto and the creation of Ghost Rider. Follow up a glimpse into Hell with a post-credit scene of Johnny Blaze, and that would be a great way to introduce the character.
Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) also told Scott, Hank (Michael Douglas), and Hope (Evangeline Lilly) about all the dangers she faced during her 30 years inside the Quantum Realm. She even warned Scott to steer clear of certain areas, so it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibilities for the MCU to place the Dark Dimension inside the Quantum Realm.
