Ghost Rider Live Action

So with my last post being about the Marvel Cinematic Universe television shows and with me currently, re-watching Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 4, I thought I would talk a little about the Ghost Rider's that have been portrayed in either movies or t.v.. The most recent incarnation of Ghost Rider was Robbie Reyes on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and it is my favorite incarnation so far.

To be fair, I have tried to give the Ghost Rider movies, starring Nicholas Cage as Johnny Blaze, their fair shake, but they are almost cringe-worthy in the way that Punisher Warzone is cringe-worthy.

This was the transformation of Ghost Rider in Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance. It is a pretty silly transformation. One reason could be the technology at the time, but that reason basically goes out the window when you look at the movies that were released the same year such as Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. The CGI work in the movie can be blamed on budget, but it does not make up for the silliness of the transformation overall.


Meanwhile, in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. the transformation looked like Robbie was in pain and he was constantly struggling to contain the spirit. The Robbie Reyes character as a whole has a really compelling backstory and character build. It is amazing that the television show had such a better looking transformation than a big budget movie.

Most of my dislike for the Ghost Rider movies comes from the absurdity of the Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance as Ghost Rider, the first movie, was an okay movie. Nicholas Cage actually portrayed an okay Johnny Blaze in that movie. The movie was on par with most of the non-Marvel Cinematic Universe movies released in that time period. This may not seem like a ringing endorsement, but those movies are somewhat enjoyable.

If you are a Ghost Rider fan and have not seen this incarnation you definitely need to check out Season 4 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as he is part of the entire first arc. Once you watch that arc, make sure you continue because while Ghost Rider is a great start of the season, it only gets better from there.

If you have seen both live action Ghost Riders, let me know which you prefer!