Marvel Studios’ big “chair” announcement for Avengers: Doomsday was the first confirmation needed that the upcoming movie was going to be gigantic. Not only did it confirm that Earth’s Mightiest Heroes like Thor and Ant-Man would appear, plus Sam Wilson as Captain America, Shang-Chi, even the newly formed Thunderbolts. The main “616” universe cast wasn’t the only surprise, with Marvel’s Fantastic Four set to return along with much of the Fox X-Men cast like Patrick Stewart as Professor X, James Marsden as Cyclops, Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler, and even Channing Tatum as Gambit. But will there be more? Even from new universes?
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According to new rumors circulating, none other than the spirit of vengeance himself, Ghost Rider, may appear in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. Marvel, of course, isn’t going to confirm this news just yet, especially with the way they safeguard most of their secrets ahead of the release of the film. The already confirmed cast of the movie lends credence to the rumor that Ghost Rider might appear, but it has two questions already percolating because of it: How? And, why?
Ghost Rider Is Rumored to Appear in Avengers: Doomsday
The Ghost Rider rumors come via DanielRPK, a known scooper who often delivers teases to Marvel fans well before the movies themselves have released a new trailer. According to him, the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday will include “multiple cameos from other characters, including Ghost Rider.” He reiterated his report that Ghost Rider will appear in the film in a tweet, with two fire emojis on either side of a skull emoji.
If Ghost Rider is going to appear, it’s possible it could be the one played by Nicolas Cage in 2007’s Ghost Rider and 2012’s Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (the character’s last movie, 14 years ago), but that’s just speculation on our part. But if there’s something we know about Marvel Studios and their current priorities, it’s that hitting the nostalgia nail on the head and giving audiences what they want is a major one. To their credit, Marvel wouldn’t even need Cage to show up to make the case for it being the same character, something they did in Deadpool & Wolverine with some X-Men favorites.
It’s worth noting that the rumors of Ghost Rider appearing in the film arrived around the same time that Doomsday star Channing Tatum offered a big tease about the movie’s cameos. According to the Deadpool & Wolverine star, there are appearances in the movie that are “50 times bigger” than Wesley Snipes’ appearance in the 2024 movie. Some of this is generally just pre-release hype, but Ghost Rider making his MCU Debut in the film would very well be a major new addition to the franchise, like Blade.
Does Ghost Rider Even Have a Place in the MCU?
Ghost Rider may well appear in Avengers: Doomsday, even just popping up for a brief sequence set on whatever Earth the Cage movies have been designated, but it does present a unique puzzle for Marvel. In an expansive franchise with four-quadrant superhero stories full of blockbuster action, what do you do with Ghost Rider?
In the grand scheme of the MCU it’s tough to see where Ghost Rider could fit, beyond just brief appearances where his Penance Stare and flaming chains are useful in an Avengers-level fight. We don’t know much about the priorities of Marvel Studios after Secret Wars, but we do know it will constitute a bit of a reset for the MCU. One of their key focuses, however, is going to be establishing their own version of the X-Men, one that is tied immediately into the larger continuity and not dependent on the Fox feature films. They’ll also no doubt continue expanding on the Fantastic Four and telling new stories with Spider-Man, Captain America, and the Avengers. So where does that leave Ghost Rider?
The good news is that this has never stopped Marvel in the past from exploring other avenues and putting characters in the spotlight that don’t seem like an obvious fit. At one point, it seemed unthinkable for an Ant-Man movie to be a reality, but three of them happened, and the character has become an MCU mainstay. Knowing that Ghost Rider comes with a built-in audience that loved him from the ’90s comics gives him an edge for how he could be used in the MCU.
There’s also another secret weapon that Marvel has that can be used to help find a corner for Ghost Rider, they’ve been developing their supernatural side in full view of everyone. Moon Knight not only starred in his own series, but the Werewolf by Night series introduced not only that lupine hero, but Man-Thing to boot. Plus, Mahershala Ali’s Blade continues to wait in the wings, and Ironheart just introduced one of the biggest bads of all time in Mephisto. If anything, it seems like Marvel shouldn’t be worried about where Ghost Rider can fit, but be ready for the fact that fans are going to want to see the Spirit of Vengeance even more once he arrives, whenever that is.
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