5 Ghost Rider Stories Perfect For Ryan Gosling’s MCU Debut
Ryan Gosling is set to star in Marvel Studios' Ghost Rider (2028), with Shawn Levy in the director's chair, and while we are more than excited about the news, we know nothing about it. According to Kevin Feige, it's up to Gosling to tell us who he will be playing and what the story will be about, but we do know he's had this idea for some time.
With so many possibilities, it's hard to know what's to come. That said, it doesn't mean fans can't try, and we have compiled some key stories that could serve as the foundation for the world's reintroduction to the Spirit of Vengeance.
Garth Ennis’ Road to Damnation
Road to Damnation by Garth Ennis and Clayton Crain is a dark Ghost Rider story where Johnny Blaze, trapped in Hell, rides every day to try and escape, only to be ripped apart just before escape. When given the chance to get out finally, he takes a task from an angel to find and send a demon back to Hell.
The story is incredibly straightforward and self-contained while still giving readers a full look at the powers and limits of Johnny Blaze's Ghost Rider. As a film, this would be a great introduction because it doesn't bog the story down with an origin but also sets the tone for how grim and gritty the film could be.
Howard Mackie’s ‘90s Run
When Johnny Blaze's story concluded, the '90s introduced a new rider in Danny Ketch. His origin was different, but the mission to violently avenge the innocent was stronger than ever. The run written by Howard Mackie and drawn by Javier Saltares and Mark Texeira makes Ghost Rider more of a superhero than ever.
With a sports bike and magical chain, this Ghost Rider is the foundation for everything we love about the character, and from taking on ninjas to vampires, it's also a great character to lead a new cinematic era. Ketch may be the second Ghost Rider, but if Gosling wanted to embody him, we could get one of the coolest iterations of the character ever.
Jason Aaron’s Ghost Rider Run
A three-part saga, Jason Aaron's Ghost Rider run uncovers more layers to the character as we learn the origin of the spirit that possessed Johnny Blaze. We also see the return of Danny Ketch that culminates in a battle at the gates of Heaven.
This run is incredibly lore-heavy, and while it may be a stacked entry for the MCU, the foundations make for a perfect trilogy that adds two Ghost Riders. It could even set up a Midnight Sons debut if the riders need more help against a larger threat.
J.M. DeMatteis & Roger Stern’s Classic Ghost Rider Run
The later issues of Ghost Rider's original Johnny Blaze run, issues #68-81, were tackled by collaborative writing duo J.M. DeMatteis & Roger Stern. In this time, we see the most definitive look at the character long before the chains and the Penance Stare.
What makes this era of the character a great story to adapt to film is that it irons out the key story beats of Blaze. We see his relationship with Roxanne Simpson and revisit his origin, all leading to the end of his time as the Ghost Rider. It's a great way for us to see Gosling as Blaze, highlighting his past, making the present exciting, and setting up an ending for the future to pass the torch if need be.
Benjamin Percy’s Run
The most recent writer to tackle Ghost Rider's story was Benjamin Percy. In his solo run, we see Johnny Blaze get back into the world after being trapped in a fabricated world by demons. He meets an FBI agent who uses witchcraft, and together they travel the country, stopping supernatural occurrences.
The run puts a heavy focus on how different Blaze and the Spirit of Vengeance are and how they handle situations. It's a brutal look at the character, but one that could perfectly set the tone of this franchise on the big screen while still being action-packed and fun.
