All The Ghost Rider Spoilers And Rumors Leaked About Hulu's New Live Action Series
Now that the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Infinity Saga has come to a close, there's just one question left on everyone's mind: where do we go now? The Marvel movies have dominated the box office for over a decade, and the massive numbers that Avengers: Endgame has seen demonstrate that they aren't losing steam. Marvel and Disney seem like they're fixing to dominate the streaming television networks next — and one show they plan on accomplishing this with is Ghost Rider.
In addition to the direct MCU tie-in shows that will be appearing on the Disney+ network, Marvel is also bringing several new series to the Hulu streaming platform. The flagship show coming to Hulu is Ghost Rider, although those hoping to see Nicolas Cage back on the motorcycle are in for a world of disappointment.
Details are still slim on what we can expect from Ghost Rider, but we have compiled everything we know so far about the series. Let's ride.
Hulu is bringing a few obscure Marvel characters to life
Marvel has huge plans for television series based on some of their more obscure characters. Besides some of the second fiddle MCU characters that are getting Disney+ shows (Falcon, Winter Soldier, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Loki, and Hawkeye), there are also several shows planned for Hulu.
Ghost Rider will be heading to Hulu sometime in the near future, and another live action show, Helstrom, will follow suit. These will join The Runaways, Marvel's Hulu-exclusive series that has been signed for a third season.
That's not all! There are also four — yes, four — animated Marvel shows coming to the streaming network. They are Howard the Duck, Tigra & Dazzler, MODOK, and Hit-Monkey. A few of the characters featured in these are very deep cuts, so it will be interesting to see what Marvel has planned for them, as well as if they will be tied to or connected in any way with the MCU going forward.
Gabriel Luna will be playing the title character
We don't yet have a ton of details on the casting of Ghost Rider, but we do know who will be taking on the role of the title character. Gabriel Luna will be playing Roberto "Robbie" Reyes, the alter ego of the vengeful spirit known as Ghost Rider.
Luna is a veteran of several successful movies and television shows, having appeared in movies like Bernie, Transpecos, and the upcoming Terminator: Dark Fate. He is a more recognizable face on television, with roles in True Detective, NCIS: Los Angeles, Prison Break, Wicked City, and Matador.
Oh, he has also worked with Marvel before. Luna appeared on several episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., where he also played Robbie Reyes. In the Marvel universe, Ghost Rider is a spirit who has inhabited multiple hosts. Johnny Blaze is the arguably the most well-known, and that was the character featured in the Nicolas Cage movies. Considering Luna's past portrayal of Robbie Reyes, we have an idea of what to expect from Hulu's take on Ghost Rider. However, it seems it won't be exactly the same.
It won't be a continuation of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
We may have some idea how Gabriel Luna plays the character of Robbie Reyes, but an interesting point that has been stressed is that the upcoming Hulu series will not be a spinoff or continuation of the storylines we saw in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Apparently, this is an entirely different iteration of Robbie Reyes, which seems like an odd choice if that's really what the show is aiming for.
The first half of the fourth season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. saw the Agents go up against longtime Ghost Rider antagonist Eli Morrow. Once Morrow was defeated, Reyes was written off the show (partially due to the exorbitant special effects budget needed whenever he transformed).
Considering the comic book origin of Reyes' Ghost Rider, it seems like it would be difficult to create a fulfilling backstory for the character without utilizing Eli Morrow. Maybe Reyes was quickly written off Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. because an original series seemed like a much better fit for the character?
The showrunner's resume gives some clues
Ghost Rider is going to be produced by Ingrid Escajeda and Paul Zbyszewski, with Escajeda serving as showrunner. As the Ghost Rider source material delves into some pretty dark territory, Escajeda seems like a solid fit. After all, she has already served as producer on some heavy, dramatic series.
Escajeda got started as a producer on Justified, starring Timothy Olyphant. She has also worked as a producer on shows like Empire, APB, and Sneaky Pete. Sit down and watch any of these shows and you can get a sense of the style that Escajeda is likely to bring to Ghost Rider.
Escajeda gave a few more hints about what to expect from the show, saying, "I couldn't be more excited and honored to be handed the reins to a Marvel character as beloved as Ghost Rider. This story hits every note for me — my love for grounded yet conflicted characters and my desire to scare the s**t out of people! It's important to me to find a take that thrills existing fans as well as wider audiences and I believe we've done just that."
The show will probably be for adult audiences
It seems likely that most of the shows appearing on the Disney+ network will be more or less family-friendly. The MCU has mostly taken that approach as well — barring a few "Mr. Stark, I don't feel so good" moments, the big-budget blockbusters are mostly designed to appeal to fans of all ages. Ghost Rider's appearance on Hulu, rather than Disney+, seems to indicate that the show will venture into a somewhat darker territory than some of its counterparts.
The synopsis of Ghost Rider is as follows: "Marvel's Ghost Rider, also known as Robbie Reyes, is a quintessential antihero, consumed by hellfire and supernaturally bound to a demon. Reyes lives on the Texas/Mexico border and when he unleashes the Rider, Robbie brings vengeance for the innocents he encounters, but struggles to control the power he wields."
It seems unlikely Marvel could do a family-friendly version of "consumed by hellfire and supernaturally bound to a demon." Considering the equally dark origins of Helstrom — another Marvel-Hulu partnership expected around the same time as Ghost Rider, and featuring the literal children of Satan — we can probably expect that the Hulu series will skew a bit darker than other Marvel materials.
Ghost Rider's place in the Marvel Universe
As Marvel has continued expanding into television, we're often been left wondering how (or even if) their shows will tie into the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Marvel-Netflix lineup — Daredevil, Jessica Jones, et al — made a few half-hearted references, but mostly steered clear. The Disney+ lineup will obviously be connected, as they feature the same characters and actors as the movies.
As of right now, the Hulu shows are expected to stand on their own. Marvel has said that shows like Ghost Rider and Helstrom will take place in the existing Marvel universe, but will not feature any crossover between their stories and the larger story of the MCU. Obviously, that could evolve in the future (especially if either show gains a significant fan following), but as of right now, don't expect to see Gabriel Luna's Robbie Reyes teaming up with Tom Holland's Spider-Man.
Considering the darker undertone that a series like Ghost Rider will most likely feature, it seems fitting that Reyes will operate better in his own corner of the Marvel Universe.
Who is Robbie Reyes?
Unlike many of the characters in the current MCU, Robbie Reyes has not been around that long. He only debuted in 2014, meaning he doesn't have a rich history of comic stories to draw from. However, he's got a few characteristics that should make him a sympathetic and intriguing character in the Ghost Rider series.
Robbie's driving instinct is to take care of his brother, Gabe, who was born with a disability and is unable to use his legs. Robbie entered a high-stakes street race to try to win money and move out of their gang-infested neighborhood, but he was cornered at the end of the race by the very gang he was trying to escape. He was possessed by the Spirit of Vengeance known as the Ghost Rider, and the two worked together to clean up Robbie's neighborhood.
Of course, it isn't as simple as all that, as comic stories rarely are.
Reyes seems like a good character to build a show around, as he is a genuinely good person who is looking to make the world better for those around him. When gifted with the outrageous powers of the Ghost Rider, he has to make difficult decisions and control his anger toward the injustice that he sees. Plus, he drives a tricked-out Dodge Charger that lights on fire. So that's pretty awesome.
Predicting the story of Ghost Rider is a bit tricky
Reyes has not been around long, meaning it can be tough to predict which way the Ghost Rider series will take its plot. If it decides to draw from an existing comic storyline, we have a few predictions about what that story might be.
The most obvious would be an origin story involving Robbie's uncle Eli Morrow. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. used a variation of this character to introduce Robbie Reyes as well, so a Ghost Rider story would probably want to stick more with the comics to avoid too much overlap if it does plan on telling its own story.
Two classic Ghost Rider stories could also offer an interesting spin on the series. Hearts of Darkness saw Ghost Rider teaming with other vengeance-driven characters to take on Blackheart, the son of Mephisto. This could open up a new realm in the Marvel Universe, introducing us to the hierarchy of Hell. It would also leave open the possibility of some crossover, as characters like Punisher and Wolverine are featured in the original comic story.
Wish for Pain could also be a good inspiration, as it would deal with the balance between Reyes' powers and humanity. It could lean heavily into the horrific, if that's the way the writers want to take the series. Wish for Pain and Hearts of Darkness do not feature Reyes in the comics, but they could be tweaked if that's the story the show wants to tell.