Ghost Rider 2 Director Wants Johnny Blaze to Destroy Avengers in the MCU
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance director Mark Neveldine says he'd like to see Ghost Rider destroy the MCU Avengers. Neveldine directed the 2011 superhero sequel, produced under 20th Century Fox, who owned the rights at the time, which brought back Nicolas Cage as the titular character of Ghost Rider/Johnny Blaze. Cage first appeared as the character in 2007's Ghost Rider from director Mark Steven Johnson (who also directed the Ben Affleck-led Daredevil), which did decent enough box office to get a sequel greenlit. Neveldine's 2011 sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, starred Cage, Idris Elba, Ciarán Hinds, and Christopher Lambert.
Sadly, Ghost Rider 2 was not exceptionally well received, nor did it turn much of a profit, although many have come to view it as a bit of a cult classic since its debut. Ghost Rider later appeared on Agents of SHIELD on ABC, which focused on a newer iteration of the character, Robbie Reyes (as played by Gabriel Luna), who has a different variation of the Ghost Rider curse, driving a car instead of a motorcycle. The character appeared for multiple episodes of the show but has not appeared in live-action since. However, rumors persist that he will return, with Cage recently affirming his affection for Ghost Rider.
While talking to ComicBookMovie, Neveldine was asked about his experience working on Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, commenting that "Johnny Blaze will continue to grow his legend" and citing his favorable experience making the film, saying that, "working with Nic Cage was better than you can imagine." The director laments not making an R-rated version of Ghost Rider and has a very specific desire for what he'd like to see Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider do in future appearances, saying, "Ghost Rider should blaze through the Avengers and lay them to waste."
Ghost Rider has possessed a multitude of characters since his creation in 1972, the first being Johnny Blaze. Other characters to carry the Ghost Rider curse (or Spirit of Vengeance) include Danny Ketch, Alejandra Jones, Robbie Reyes, and Kushana, amongst others who took on various forms as the classic anti-hero. The character has typically been featured on his own, but in recent years has teamed up and even joined groups like The Avengers, which would potentially make it awkward if he were to blaze through them, as Neveldine desires.
Marvel Studios is re-establishing their street-level superheroes on Disney+, where the darker Marvel/Netflix shows like Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, The Punisher, and Iron Fist are now housed. Moon Knight is set to debut this month as well, which is another MCU character in that darker corner of the universe, which will continue to open the door for more characters of that caliber, including Ghost Rider. Whether Marvel chooses to use Cage, Luna, or start from scratch, it's very likely the Spirit of Vengeance will ride again in the MCU.
Source: ComicBookMovie