Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. alum Gabriel Luna, who played Roberto “Robbie” Reyes/Ghost Rider on the MCU-adjacent ABC show, is willing to once again don his leathers and embody the Spirit of Vengeance, should Marvel Studios come calling.
During an interview with ComicBook.com, Luna was asked if he was open to the idea of reprising his role as Ghost Rider in the mainstream Marvel Cinematic Universe. “You know, I think that the way we left it… I would definitely think that there’s a lot more to say,” the actor replied. “I loved the response. Everyone loved Robbie and they loved the character. And if we only ever did those ten episodes and nothing else, I would feel very complete with what we were able to do. To bring awareness to the character, to show people a Mexican-American hero — the first on television, I believe. I know that’s said a lot but I think people forget about 2016 when we did that with Robbie. But he’s a wonderful character and I love him. I’d absolutely be happy to continue.”
Could Gabriel Luna’s Ghost Rider Get One Last Ride?
Regarding where he’d like to see Robbie’s story go in the event that Marvel Studios decides to bring that version of Ghost Rider back, Luna cited the character’s recent exploits in the company’s comic book universe. “There are so many places you can go because in the comics he became an Avenger and he’s now the All-Rider, which is pretty awesome when you think about it,” the actor said. “He’s become quite an important piece in Marvel publishing so if he were to appear again, he absolutely deserves it. Whether it’s me or not.”
Produced by the now-defunct Marvel Television, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premiered on ABC in 2013, ostensibly as part of the MCU. Luna joined the show’s cast as Robbie Reyes/Ghost Rider for its fourth season, which ran from 2016 to 2017. (Prior to this, Nicolas Cage starred as Johnny Blaze, perhaps the most famous incarnation of Ghost Rider, in Sony’s standalone 2007 film Ghost Rider and its 2012 sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.) Luna was set to reprise his role in a Ghost Rider spinoff series for Hulu, though plans fell through.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. would appear to be canon to the main MCU, having even featured heavy hitters from the movies like Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Hayley Atwell as Agent Carter. However, like all Marvel Television productions, the ABC series was largely left to its own devices in terms of its story and continuity, especially towards the end, leaving it open for debate regarding whether Marvel Studios still considers it canon. Notably, following the shuttering of Marvel Television, Marvel Studios began producing its own small-screen content set within the MCU for Disney+.
That said, Luna reprising his role as Robbie Reyes in a future MCU project would not be unprecedented. After all, numerous other pre-Disney+ Marvel TV stars have returned to their own respective roles in Marvel Studios productions as of late. For instance Anson Mount — who portrayed Black Bolt in the short-lived ABC series Marvel’s Inhumans — came back to play an alternate version of the character for a similarly brief cameo in the film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Perhaps more famously, Charlie Cox — star of the Netflix series Marvel’s Daredevil — reprised his role as Matt Murdock/Daredevil in the film Spider-Man: No Way Home and the Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Cox’s Daredevil co-star Vincent D’Onofrio also reprised his role as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin in the Disney+ series Hawkeye. Following these proverbial resurrections, Marvel Studios has big plans for Cox and D’Onofrio, including a new Disney+ series titled Daredevil: Born Again.
Whether or not Luna gets the chance to return to the role of Robbie Reyes, MCU fans have been eagerly awaiting word on when Marvel Studios plans to bring Ghost Rider back into the fold. While some would certainly like to see Luna’s Robbie make a comeback, others have voiced their desire to see Johnny Blaze properly join the MCU following his own brief cameo in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. On that note, The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus certainly seems hell-bent on becoming the MCU’s Spirit of Vengeance (though he’s not the only one). It should be noted, however, that in Marvel’s comic book universe, multiple Ghost Riders — including Robbie and Johnny — have been active at the same time.
