Agents of SHIELD might be taking off the chains in season 4, while the recent Trolley wrap divided the internet on the presence of ghost rider or JT James’s Hellfire, it might appear that the flaming chain means that vengeance is coming to SHIELD, though it’s not the spirit you might expect.
According to Heroic Hollywood, there might be more to the fan speculation then just speculation. In a way it’s common sense. Unless JT James is going to feature as a major character (and it’s very possible as the Australian inhuman was also a henchman of Hive’s and could possibly be just as rogue as Daisy Johnson, if not moreso) there’d be no reason to feature a flaming chain without making people think ghost rider. Marvel’s smart.
And a recent casting notice that hit the internet, via TV line has given credence to the ghost rider rumors as well as confirming that we’ll be seeing Aida, the ‘Birthday Girl’ from the end of season 3.
“LMDs are happening. Specifically, the ABC series at this time is looking to cast the recurring role of Aida, a “very attractive” robot (because after all, why make a homely one?) who moves about quite naturally but speaks a bit formally, like Iron Man’s Jarvis. Also to be introduced in Season 4: a pair of Latino brothers, one of whom is always the most dangerous person in the room, the other paralyzed in a wheelchair.”
Fans of the comics will know that the most recent incarnation of Ghost Rider, the mechanic Robbie Reyes, has a disabled brother named Gabriel. After participating in an illegal street race, Reyes is killed while driving his car only to be brought back by a “spirit of vengeance”. He becomes a protector within the neighborhood until – when confronted by Johnny Blaze -he learns that he’s not possessed by a spirit of vengeance but by the ghost of the serial killer Eli Morrow who dismembered 37 people in rituals before being gunned down by the police.
(It’s worth noting that if this concerns you the spirit possessing Johnny Blaze isn’t the nicest creature either. Known as Zarathos, he tormented demons and angels alike. According to Doctor Strange, Zarathos is powerful enough to take on the Hulk.)
Reyes bonds with the spirit and is warned that his abilities can cause problems. He sees the effects of this as his abilities end up causing him to harm his brother Gabe who relies on him. After leaving him alone and nearly starving him while ghost rider, Gabe regresses and Robbie is left to take care of him.
It’s a heavy storyline, but it’s a powerful one that showcases Marvel’s commitment to diversity. Heroic Hollywood further speculated that John Ridley’s secret Marvel project might be a back-door Robbie Reyes as ghost rider spin off. With recent fan casting wanting to see Norman Reedus in the role of Johnny Blaze, it’s possible that we might see more then one Ghost Rider, and if Robbie Reyes is the first individual we do see it’s a powerful connective tie to Doctor Strange.
Could the demons be a connective thread throughout the MCU with Johnny Blaze moving to Netflix, Robbie Reyes on ABC, and perhaps another ghost rider joining the movies proper? Comics wise, Hellfire was a descendant of the original Ghost Rider and a member of Johnny Blaze’s bloodline. In the MCU, Hellfire is an inhuman which could lead to speculation that the varying dimensions are in fact more alien then magical in origin.
Word around town is that Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider may be coming to @AgentsofSHIELD next season O_O pic.twitter.com/pKGeaS3QXm
— BossLogic (@Bosslogic) July 1, 2016
Either way, the news has already fired up people as it were, and adding a more alien – or at least inhuman connection to the character could solve the thorny issue of explaining magic on a show like Agents of SHIELD.
So what do you think true believers? Is the ghost rider preparing to roll into the MCU? Do you think we’ll see a continued inhuman connection, or will we start to learn about the magical realm before Doctor Strange? Only time and San Diego Comic Con’s panels will tell, so stay tuned for the latest and greatest news right here on the Marvel Report!