In The Astronaut, when astronaut Sam Walker (Kate Mara) crash-lands back to Earth, she’s discovered alive in a punctured capsule off the Atlantic coast. General William Harris (Laurence Fishburne) places her in quarantine under strict NASA surveillance for rehabilitation and testing. But as disturbing events escalate, she begins to fear that something extraterrestrial has followed her home.
The movie also stars Gabriel Luna, Ivana Milicevic, Macy Gray, and introduces Scarlett Holmes, and it's written and directed by Jess Varley.
While many of you will likely know Luna best for his role as Tommy in HBO's The Last of Us, we're sure you'll also remember his unforgettable turn as Robbie Reyes, a.k.a. Ghost Rider, in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 4.
The actor has repeatedly said he's eager to reprise the role, and confirmed in an interview with us that that remains the case. He also reflected on the impact his version of Ghost Rider has had on the fandom and his Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. co-stars.
"I'm open to it," Luna confirms in the video below. "As somebody who loved that part and loves that character with all his heart, and somebody who loves that universe and storytelling...I always keep the door open."
"It makes me feel very happy just to know that people hold it that closely, and I think Clark [Gregg], Chloe [Bennet], and Ming [-Na Wen] were at New York Comic Con recently, and someone sent me a video of them just talking really sweetly about me up on the stage there. Basically, naming that fourth season as their favourite, which means a lot, because they had such a beautiful family on that show and delivered seven really wonderful seasons. For them to hold that season as the jewel of their experience really is special."
He added, "Yeah, I love Robbie, I love the Ghost Rider. You know, they have them number."
We later asked Luna what drew him to The Astronaut, and pointed out the similarity between this character and The Last of Us' Tommy. They're both protective fathers, albeit in very different ways.
"I think what appealed to me and what's been appealing to me lately in a couple of things I've done lately is just that," the actor shared. "His mortality, the fact that he isn't this invulnerable character, and there's a lot to play there. There's a lot of heart to these characters. Beyond that, in a more specific sense, I think it is the stories between fathers and children."
"I've been really interested to explore all that, and in this case, it was a really sweet story about a guy who is just doing his best to be the best stay-on-Earth dad that he can be," Luna continued. "Even beyond that, it was Kate Mara and Laurence Fishburne. And Jess wrote this really wonderful script that had a lot of touching moments to it. It definitely shifts the way you view this type of story."
The Astronaut features another excellent performance from the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. alum, and we can only hope that he gets another shot at Ghost Rider in the MCU (whether it be in the next Avengers movies, Doomsday and Secret Wars, or beyond).
The Astronaut is now playing in Select Theaters and On Demand.