Nicolas Cage played Johnny Blaze in two critically panned Marvel movies: 2007's Ghost Rider and 2012 sequel Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. Both efforts had some redeeming qualities, but no one was really dying for a threequel after that last effort.
The legendary actor's quirky take on the character resonated with plenty of fans, though, and a new rumour suggests there are plans in place for Cage to reprise the role "sooner than you think."
These claims from a couple of semi-reliable social media scoopers come our way just days after it was reported that Marvel Studios had been developing a Ghost Rider movie or TV show prior to the WGA strike. Work on that is supposedly expected to resume once the strike ends.
If we had to hazard a guess, Cage will be among the actors who appear in next year's Deadpool 3.
The movie is expected to take the Merc with the Mouth and Wolverine on a trip through the Multiverse, with both the original X-Men and Jennifer Garner's Elektra already all but confirmed to show up. Why not add Cage's Ghost Rider to the mix?
We don't anticipate him playing Johnny on Earth-616 unless it's for a passing of the torch with Danny Ketch or Robbie Reyes. The latter already appeared in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., while Danny played a role in Spirit of Vengeance, meaning we'd bet on a new actor playing the hellblazing anti-hero.
Time will tell whether this rumour leads to anything but it's probably best not to get too excited. Hollywood has come to a standstill as a result of the ongoing strikes and while this story comes from a source with a proven track record, this may be based solely on those rumoured MCU plans for Mephisto.
Would you like to see Cage's Ghost Rider ride again?