Marvel Studios has been sitting on the Ghost Rider rights for years now and allowed Marvel Television to use the Robbie Reyes version in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. for a brief spell. Recently, however, rumours have persisted that Johnny Blaze is being lined up to make his MCU debut.
Initially, we heard that might happen in a "Marvel Studios Special Presentation," but with Disney shifting its focus away from Disney+ in a bid to increase theatrical profits, those plans might have fallen by the wayside.
According to scooper @MyTimeToShineH, Kevin Feige has decided to make Ghost Rider a movie. They go on to add, "Sacha Baron Cohen will return, obviously. And as for Ghost Rider, they want an A-Lister."
For those of you who don't recall, Cohen is supposedly playing Mephisto in Ironheart and may even be the new owner of Avengers Tower. It seems this version of the villain will have an interest in tech as Marvel Studios looks to merge the worlds of magic and science.
The Ghost Rider "mantle" has been held by several characters, though Johnny Blaze remains the most iconic. Debuting in 1972, he's a stunt motorcyclist who, through a deal with the devil, transforms into the Ghost Rider when in the presence of evil.
As you'll no doubt already know, his head then becomes a flaming skull and he wields a chain imbued with mystical powers, punishing the wicked and riding a flaming motorcycle. The character borrows heavily from the supernatural horror and superhero genres, with Danny Ketch and Robbie Reyes among those to later inherit the curse from Johnny.
We don't know which version of the character Marvel Studios will choose to focus on, but it's arguably about time for Johnny to get a second chance on the big screen after not being seen since 2012's Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (there was a glimpse of him in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. but it came to nothing).
It's worth noting that Barbie star Ryan Gosling has previously expressed interest in a superhero movie role and, more specifically, the Spirit of Vengeance. Asked about that last year, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said, "Hey man, if Ryan wants to be Ghost Rider...Gosling’s unbelievable. Ryan is amazing. I'd love to find a place for him in the MCU."
The actor has suggested he's turned down many superhero roles, saying, "It doesn’t matter. I wasn’t right for it. But I would love to do it." Clearly, he's waiting for the right character, but will Ghost Rider be it?
We're going to have to wait and see.