Despite the failings of the two Sony produced movies (Ghost Rider and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance) starring Nicolas Cage, Ghost Rider is still an immensely popular character. The film and television rights are back with Marvel Studios and with rumours of a Netflix series and The Walking Dead, actor Norman Reedus saying he’d like to play Marvel’s flamed-headed, spirit of vengeance, a new adaptation could very well be on its way. But how should Marvel tackle rebooting this character.
Make it a Netflix series
Marvel has proved they’ve cracked the code to making superhero TV shows on Netflix. By the end of 2016 Marvel would have produced and released; Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and the crossover event series, The Defenders. Ghost Rider is a character long associated with the “street level” characters and the dark tone from the comics could fit best in the TV world Marvel has created. The only point of difference is Ghost Rider will logically require a far superior budget than what we’ve seen so far on the Netflix shows.
Get the casting right
Although being filled with top quality talent, neither Ghost Rider movie managed to capture the essence of what made Ghost Rider a popular comic book character. Marvel has done an excellent job on casting since the dawn of the MCU and in particular on the Netflix shows with the shows’ villains particular highlights. If the traditional Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze is chosen for the lead, Norman Reedus has already mentioned he’d like to play the character but there are other options for Ghost Riders too. One of Ghost Rider’s greatest enemies is a Marvel comics universe staple, Mephisto, casting this demonic creature who often poses as the Devil himself would prove key after the success of both Vincent D’Onofrio and David Tennant as Wilson Fisk and Killgrave respectively.
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Don’t be afraid of the source material
Ghost Rider is a complex character, with many weirder elements than the likes of Daredevil and Jessica Jones but these are what define the character and shape who he is. Ghost Rider is often dealing with the forces of evil from hell and demonic creations that will be very different to even the strangest of MCU characters to date. However as proved with the likes of Thor and Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel has demonstrated they can tie all their characters into one universe. Ghost Rider can in fact open up a completely new realm and challenge for the producers at Marvel.
What would you like to see from a Ghost Rider reboot in the MCU?
