When director Mark Steven Johnson was tapped to bring Ghost Rider to the big screen, Nicolas Cage was apparently his only choice to play the titular hero.
In the early 2000s, the success of Blade, X-Men and Spider-Man established Marvel's superheroes as some of the biggest properties in entertainment. As one of the most popular characters of the '90s, Ghost Rider was a surefire hit in waiting, but attempts by producer Gale Anne Hurd, actor Jon Voight and Blade screenwriter David S. Goyer all failed to shift into gear. Johnson was eventually brought on board to helm the character's first film, and in a recent discussion with ComicBook.com, he revealed he knew exactly who to cast for the lead role.
"Nic was always the choice for Ghost Rider," the director said. "He has such a love for this character. There was never talk of anyone else playing Johnny Blaze." Cage, a lifelong comic book fan, had expressed interest in the role for years as it cycled through its developmental process. He was set to face off against classic Ghost Rider villain Scarecrow in the film, but the studio made the production change villains after Batman Begins used DC's own version of the character in 2005. Instead, actor Wes Bentley was brought in to play Blackheart.
Upon release in 2007, Ghost Rider was met with mixed reviews but still debuted at the top of the box office and made back double its budget. Unfortunately, Cage's reputation took a hit as the actor earned a Golden Raspberry Award nomination for Worst Actor. A sequel was made in 2011 with Johnson replaced by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, directors of the Crank movies. Goyer, who was originally attached to an early version of the first film, was brought on board for the screenplay. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance was also a mild success but earned even worse reviews, sealing the fate of the franchise when Cage landed another Golden Raspberry Award nomination for Worst Actor and the movie itself for Worst Sequel.
In the years since Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Johnny Blaze has largely been out of the public eye. At one time, the character was set to appear on Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but this was eventually changed to Robbie Reyes, aka the All-New Ghost Rider. Played by Gabriel Luna (The Last of Us), the Rider was at one time set to receive his own spinoff series on Hulu, but that too was scrapped, leaving Ghost Rider's MCU future in doubt.
On the comics side of things, Marvel has dubbed 2022 "The Year of Vengeance." The publisher will put Johnny Blaze back in the driver's seat for his 50th anniversary with a new Ghost Rider ongoing series. From writer Benjamin Percy and artist Cory Smith, the book looks to inject new life into Blaze by focusing on his potential as a horror character. Ghost Rider #1 is set to hit shelves in February 2022.
Source: ComicBook.com