Marvel Nixed Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Plan For Using Johnny Blaze Instead Of Robbie Reyes

We’re getting new insights about what could have been when it comes to Marvel‘s Ghost Rider appearing in the ABC show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D..

The character did eventually appear in the show, well a version of him that is, as Robbie Reyes in season four.

However, if VFX supervisor Mark Kolpack’s recounting of the build-up to season four is any indication, it would seem the creators were originally anticipating Johnny Blaze for the character AKA the original Ghost Rider.

It turns out that was not meant to be, however, as the rights to use Blaze were relegated exclusively to the film arm of Marvel, Marvel Studios, and its president Kevin Feige.

It makes sense that Marvel would divvy up which characters go to TV vs. the film franchise back during the pre-Disney Plus era TV shows, as we’ve recently gotten the revelations from an officially authorized Marvel book that its TV department, Marvel Entertainment, was kept largely separate from the movie side of things. It turns out the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. isn’t even considered canon to the Marvel Cinematic Universe anymore.

However, Kolpack reveals in the new interview that the producers of the show were so convinced they could incorporate Blaze as its Ghost Rider, that they were on track to film a teaser at the end of season three.

The tease that wasn’t meant to be was apparently going to center around a couple who bid upon and win a storage unit at an auction. When they open it up for the first time, they see memorabilia from a former daredevil motorcycle performer.

“They started seeing posters of the Daredevil motorcycle stuff and there was a leather jacket there and a motorcycle. There were all these little tidbit clues that were going to be in there to foreshadow and tease everybody for Season 4,” Kolpack told ComicBook.

In the end, the show was able to incorporate the Robbie Reyes version of Ghost Rider, with Marvel also prohibiting a version of the original character’s iconic motorcycle, instead of using Reyes’ Hell Charger.