Mark Neveldine Reflects On GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE And Shares MCU Hopes For Johnny Blaze (Exclusive)

Mark Neveldine Reflects On GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE And Shares MCU Hopes For Johnny Blaze (Exclusive)

Talking to us about his new movie, Panama, filmmaker Mark Neveldine reflects on his R-Rated hopes for Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, working with Nic Cage, and where he'd like to see the hero go next.

By JoshWilding - Mar 15, 2022 04:03 PM EST
Filed Under: Ghost Rider

Mel Gibson and Cole Hauser star in Panama, an edge-of-your-seat action thriller set during the political upheaval of 1989 Panama. When the U.S. is on the brink of invading Panama, a former marine (Hauser) is hired by a CIA operative (Gibson) for a top-secret arms trade mission. Alone and among the most dangerous arms dealers, Becker learns the true nature of political power.

The movie is helmed by Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance co-director Mark Neveldine, and we recently caught up with the filmmaker over email to discuss his work on Panama

We'll bring you the full interview tomorrow, but asked Mark how he looks back at his time in the Marvel Universe and what his hopes are for Ghost Rider in the MCU (rumours persist that a reboot is in the works). "Johnny Blaze will continue to grow his legend," he told us. "I kind of wish we could have made the rated R version of that movie, but it was one of the greatest times in my life. My first child was born in Romania, and working with Nic Cage was better than you can imagine."

As for what he'd specifically like to see from Ghost Rider moving forward, the director simply responded: "Ghost Rider should blaze through the Avengers and lay them to waste."

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance delivered a bonkers take on the character back in 2012, but in a year that also saw the release of movies like The Avengers and The Amazing Spider-Man, it ended up being somewhat overshadowed. Sony Pictures would ultimately decide to let the rights to the character revert to Marvel Studios, and while the Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider appeared briefly in ABC's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Johnny Blaze has remained on the shelf ever since. 

As for whether a return to the superhero genre is possible after Panama, Nelevdine teased his plans to tell the story of what he describes as a "super anti-hero." He revealed, "I'm finally writing again. One of the projects does involve a super anti-hero. Not of the Marvel kind..." Consider us intrigued! 

Panama arrives in theaters, Digital, and On Demand on March 18, 2022.
 

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RUMOR: GHOST RIDER Star Nicolas Cage Now Said To Be In "Final Talks" To Return As The Spirit Of Vengeance

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THEDARKKNIGHT1939
THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - 3/15/2022, 4:59 PM
Hands down the best on-screen Ghost Rider design.
micvalpro
micvalpro - 3/15/2022, 4:59 PM
We need another Crank movie.
MosquitoFarmer
MosquitoFarmer - 3/15/2022, 7:59 PM
@micvalpro - Really wish we could have gotten the intended 3rd movie. Seems less likely as time goes on, but with the bonkers nature of that story, it’s a never say never type scenario.
micvalpro
micvalpro - 3/15/2022, 9:39 PM
@MosquitoFarmer - Yes. Last we saw he was set on fire, maybe a ufo picks him up and takes him away for 15 years only to come back without organs and needs to find some asap lol
MosquitoFarmer
MosquitoFarmer - 3/16/2022, 12:04 AM
@micvalpro - Even in the Crank universe, that seems a stretch, haha. But I like your enthusiasm.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 3/15/2022, 5:02 PM
Was so hyped for this movie when that first trailer stopped. Unfortunately wasn’t very good but Rider has never looked better.
regularmovieguy
regularmovieguy - 3/15/2022, 5:03 PM
I haven’t seen either Ghost Rider movie.
dracula
dracula - 3/15/2022, 5:04 PM
Spirit of vengeance found a way to be worst than the first but really the ghost rider design is freakin awesome
JFerguson
JFerguson - 3/15/2022, 5:08 PM
I miss Ghost Rider stories. Lots of fun to be had. Also Mephisto can be in it
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 3/15/2022, 5:08 PM
Really wish they did more with Luna in the role. He was good on AOS.
dracula
dracula - 3/15/2022, 5:09 PM
@ModHaterSLADE - sucks they cancelled his spin off. They cancelled hellstorm after one season but one season of ghost rider would have been better than nothing
MrDandy
MrDandy - 3/15/2022, 5:08 PM
Ghost Rider looked amazing on screen for this movie but the film was complete crap.
Saga
Saga - 3/15/2022, 5:14 PM
Ghost Rider would wipe out the Avengers only Thor and Marvel stand a chance the Hulk lost his edge. Strange vs Rider would be [frick]ing sick
DudeGuy
DudeGuy - 3/15/2022, 5:15 PM
Haven’t seen SOV. The first one is fun to get stoned to though.
Reeds2Much
Reeds2Much - 3/15/2022, 5:30 PM
working with Nic Cage was better than you can imagine

All I can do is imagine.
FinnishDude
FinnishDude - 3/15/2022, 5:41 PM
Spirit of Vengeance clearly wanted to be an edgy and crazy balls-to-the-walls grindhouse movie, yet had stuff like a kid sidekick and the powers of an Angel bringing said kid back from the dead at the end. No idea if that was a case of studio forcing stuff on the filmmakers or something, but it just missed the mark.
marvel72
marvel72 - 3/15/2022, 6:03 PM
RIP Scott Hall
IronDean2099
IronDean2099 - 3/15/2022, 6:37 PM
SOV is a top tier Marvel movie and I will not be taking any questions at this time.
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