When most non-comic book readers hear the name Ghost Rider, they’re reminded of the hokey, two-toned motorcycle-driving Johnny Blaze performed by Nicolas Cage in 2007’s Ghost Rider and 2012’s sequel Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. Cage’s unhinged performance coupled with a nonsensical plot and lackluster spectacle left the sequel’s legacy solely memorable due to Cage’s insane attempt at playing a superhero.
https://youtu.be/ABX5TwQFPfk
Would the popular Marvel antihero ever be given a faithful adaptation? Sort of. Enter Robbie Reyes and ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Reyes is the latest comic-book incarnation of Ghost Rider. Created by writer/artist Felipe Smith, Reyes is a new refresh to Johnny Blaze’s Ghost Rider. Debuting in 2014 in All-New Ghost Rider, Reyes is a Mexican-American high-school student working at a mechanic shop to help provide for his disabled brother Gabe. In order to further support his brother, he enters a street race. Reyes is murdered following the event, but is revived as the Ghost Rider by the ghost of Eli Morrow, who claims to have been killed by a local gang.
Morrow was murdered and wants to exact revenge and agrees to help Robbie. Morrow turns out to be more than just a voice in Reyes’ head, regularly taking control of his body and actions, forcing him to get vengeance on those who wronged him. The relationship seems mutually beneficial until Morrow takes things a step too far, causing Reyes to neglect his brother and force him to kill on his behalf.
Morrow is revealed to be Reyes’ uncle, who pushed his pregnant mom down a flight of stairs causing his brother’s disability. The two battle internally, before Reyes agrees to murder people to quench Morrow’s murderous hunger as long as the victims possess evilness inside. Think Superhero Dexter.
Wearing a leather jacket and driving a black muscle car, Reyes becomes Ghost Rider.
Despite the failings of Ghost Rider’s first two films, demand for a new live-action version was remained high among fans. The character (specifically Johnny Blaze) is extremely prominent in Marvel’s history and was butchered during his own live-action attempt. After getting rights to the character back when Sony let them expire, Marvel met fans in the middle, deciding to pass on a new solo film reboot (for now) and introduce the Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider on ABC’s Marvel TV show.
Ghost Rider showing up on S.H.I.E.L.D. was first teased on a bus advertisement for the show during San Diego Comic-Con featuring his flaming chain. That chain could have been an allusion to the character Hellfire, who appeared on season three of the series. But Marvel had much bigger plans, to the delight of fans.
Gabriel Luna (Wicked City) was cast in the role and Marvel announced plans to go forward with a Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider on season four of S.H.I.E.L.D. Executive Producer Jed Whedon told TV Line’s Matt Webb Mitovich that Reyes’ origin will have a new spin on it to subvert comic book readers expectations.
“We can’t say much about what we’re going to do with [Robbie Reyes’] origin, but we are doing our own spin on it,” he said. “We don’t want people who have read the comics to know exactly what’s coming.”
On Sunday, Marvel released a new promo featuring Luna in his Ghost Rider attire (though we don’t get a look at Ghost Rider himself) and his flaming muscle car. The special effects look very crisp.
Ghost Rider’s arrival comes at the perfect time for the show. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was moved from 9:00 p.m. on Tuesdays to 10:00 p.m. As ABC president Channing Dungey alluded to, with a later time slot, S.H.I.E.L.D can take more risks and have a much darker tone. Ghost Rider certainly creates a new vibe.
How is Reyes going to fit in the show? Without knowing how Whedon is going to spin his origin, it’s hard to say. But there are hints of how he could be introduced.
Calvin Zabo (Kyle MacLachlan), a mad scientist who’s the father of main character Daisy Johnson, is responsible for Reyes’ initial death in the comics and the car Robbie is driving has Zabo’s transformation pills in the trunk. MacLachlan is currently committed to the Twin Peaks revival, but a guest appearance could potentially start Reyes’ character arc. S.H.I.E.L.D. could also go off the board and change Reyes’ origin so he becomes Inhuman through tainted Terrigen pills, instead of gaining his powers demonically. Inhumans have become an extremely important plot point for the show, so that would make sense and explain how Reyes got his powers. Although that wouldn’t explain the demon talking in his head.
It might be upsetting to some fans that Ghost Rider isn’t the Johnny Blaze version, but adding Reyes brings a contemporary, somewhat unfamiliar take on the character. S.H.I.E.L.D is bringing something completely different to the table with Reyes and he’s got the potential to take a consistently satisfying show to another level.
Will he do that? We’ll find out Sept. 20 when Ghost Rider debuts on the season four premiere of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
