How Ryan Gosling’s Ghost Rider Can Be Meaningfully Different From Nicolas Cage’s
After Johnny Blaze and Robbie Reyes, there's one more Ghost Rider we need to see in live action...
The new Ghost Rider movie has many hurdles to overcome. Not only is it slated to release in the same year as the upcoming X-Men reboot and the conclusion to Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther trilogy, but it’s also dealing with the fact that two other actors have previously held the Spirit of Vengeance title. Nicolas Cage delivered a delightfully unhinged performance as Johnny Blaze in 2007’s Ghost Rider and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, while Gabriel Luna brought a version of Robbie Reyes to life in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. So how can star Ryan Gosling and director Shawn Levy make their take on Ghost Rider stand out?
The answer lies with the third character to don the mantle of Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch. Created by Howard Mackie and Javier Saltares, Danny’s turn as the Ghost Rider began, appropriately enough, with 1990’s Ghost Rider #1. After the criminal Deathwatch wounds his sister Barbara, Danny stumbles into a graveyard where he discovers a motorcycle that transforms him into the Ghost Rider. Naturally, he battles all sorts of wicked forces, including Blackheart – the son of Mephisto, who’s made a habit of creating Ghost Riders.
Danny Ketch is the reason why the Ghost Rider became such a popular character. Saltares’ sleek redesign, including giving Danny’s Hellcycle a more aerodynamic look and a spike-studded leather jacket, is extremely eye-catching. It also didn’t hurt that Danny made his debut at a time where darker, more morally ambiguous heroes were all the rage. Remember: he debuted in the same time period as Spawn.
Ketch is also the Ghost Rider who tends to team up with Marvel characters. In his early days, he crossed paths with the Punisher, Wolverine, and the X-Men, and helped form Marvel’s iconic supernatural team, the Midnight Sons. Perhaps the best team up came in Fantastic Four #347-349 by Walter Simonson and Arthur Adams, which featured Danny, Wolverine, Spider-Man and the Hulk becoming the “New Fantastic Four.” And who could forget the infamous moment from the 1994 Fantastic Four series where he one-shots Galactus with the Penance Stare? If the MCU plays its cards right, it could have a new set of ensemble movies on its hands with Ghost Rider.
If Gosling plays Danny Ketch, it would be a great way to set him apart from Cage and Luna’s performances. This would be a Ghost Rider whose life is upended by his new power. Danny has died twice while operating as Ghost Rider, and he would fully lose his sister to the malevolent Blackheart, making him far more tragic than his predecessor or successor. Danny and Johnny Blaze are also half-brothers, a bond that could add much-needed emotional heft to the movie.
Additionally, some fans are speculating that Heated Rivalry star Connor Storrie might be Blackheart, giving Marvel Studios the chance to revisit a deadly rivalry. The fact that Sacha Baron Cohen recently played Mephisto in Ironheart only further hints that the crimson conniver’s spawn is lurking in the shadows.
Even one of Marvel Studios’ higher-ups wants to see Danny Ketch get his time to shine. During an interview with Collider, Marvel Television/Animation/Comics head Brad Winderbaum said that he would want to put Danny in his own series: “I would wanna do the Danny Ketch era of Ghost Rider.”
Danny Ketch helped the Ghost Rider become a Marvel icon, and it’s time for him to ride again.