How Ghost Rider Can Transition to His Own Netflix Series

Agents of SHIELD season 4 has made a star out of the new Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Ghost Rider, and the actor playing him, Gabriel Luna. Many Marvel fans are calling for Luna’s Robbie Reyes/Ghost Rider to transition into his very own series on Netflix, where the character’s darker, violent, nature can be fully explored, without restriction.

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However, getting from Agents of SHIELD to a full Ghost Rider Netflix series isn’t something that can just be done without any planning. This is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, after all, where all the dominos must be lined up to fall in the proper order.

And so, stepping back and taking a look at the picture of the larger MCU, Here’s How Ghost Rider Could Transition to His Own Netflix Series.

Justice Over Vengeance

The first thing that needs to happen is for Robbie Reyes to redirect himself and his mission from one of bloody vengeance to one that is truly about justice.

Now that Gabe knows the truth about his brother (and can clearly help anchor The Ghost Rider’s fury), Robbie is all set to transition into a true hero, going from “The Spirit of Vengeance” to “The Spirit of Justice” – just in time for his new Marvel Comics series debut!

Darkhold Redeemer

In Marvel Comics the Darkhold (that proverbial book of evil) has gotten loose and wreaked havoc before. Pages of the book have been scattered, each filled with a different evil to curse the willing reader with. We’ve already seen one spell’s effect in Agents in SHIELD, but if the final battle with Eli Morrow results in the Darkhold getting out, Ghost Rider would be the perfect character to track it down.

Given Robbie Reyes’ family ties to “Uncle Eli,” Ghost Rider would be honor-bound to undo the sins his family unleashed upon the world. That sounds like the perfect setup for Ghost Rider season 1 to build on – especially if some force of supernatural evil comes looking for the Darkhold, as well.

Occult Warden

If they want to tie Ghost Rider a little closer to the rest of the MCU, then make him another warden of mystical threats, much like Doctor Strange.

However, whereas Strange and the Masters of the Mystic Arts safeguard the MCU against cosmic entities, rogue sorcerers, and strange beings from other dimensions, Ghost Rider would be focused on keeping forces of the supernatural and occult out of our world.

Having Robbie (and Gabe) traveling around tracking down those occult threats would give Marvel/Netflix opportunity to do a darker version of something like Supernatural.

Supernatural Street Hero

Agents of SHIELD has already built the mythos of The Rider haunting the streets of LA, boogeyman to all gangbangers and thugs. Robbie has a day job, a home, a life… so why change up at all?

Jessica Jones explored very feminine issues of power and violation, and Luke Cage tackled deep issues of African-American culture. Ghost Rider could explore the Latin culture of LA, while also delivering a great supernatural superhero story.

Fiery Fugitive

Robbie Reyes/Ghost Rider has already amassed a bad reputation with all the wrong people in SHIELD – and beating down director Jeffrey Mace, or flash-cooking a prison inmate, certainly didn’t help things.

Given Coulson and Quake’s mutual soft spot for Robbie, it wouldn’t be surprising if our SHIELD heroes let the Rider escape custody.

Ghost Rider the series would be cool if it combined a fugitive’s tale with that of a hero’s journey. Set it in Mexico and explore that culture’s supernatural myths and creatures, and you’d have one hell of an outlaw’s tale.

Agent of SHIELD

Just throwing this one out there: maybe Coulson and Co. don’t cut Robbie loose or throw him in a cell. Maybe there’s a third option: recruitment.

Robbie would work as an independent contractorauthorized by SHIELD. It would actually be a way to incorporate a lot of the other ideas (The Darkhold, being a supernatural cop, and a street hero), and would finally establish some direct ties between the Marvel Netflix world and Agents of SHIELD.

…Although, Ghost Rider purists may not be cool with the idea of ol’ Flame-head being on a government payroll.