Ghost Rider needs a reboot, not a sequel but alas a sequel is what we’ll get. Collider had a chat with producer producer Mike De Luca who revealed that the current working title is GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE. Since I’m not familiar with Ghost Rider universe, at first I thought this is just another nickname that he goes by, kinda like The Dark Knight for Batman or Man Of Steel for Superman but turns out, and please correct me if I’m wrong, I looked it up and found that Spirit of Vengeance is actually another version of Ghost Rider…
According to Wiki, “Spirit of Vengeance debuted in Guardians of the Galaxy, set in an alternate future of the Marvel Universe. He has the ability to traverse space and fire spike projectiles from his forearms. This Ghost Rider is a religious zealot, embittered toward a church (a version of the Universal Church of Truth) proclaiming it would produce its god in the flesh. That being, the Protege, is destroyed by the Celestial Scathan the Approver. This Ghost Rider refers to himself simply as the Spirit of Vengeance, although his real name is given as Autocylus, from the planet Sarka. After answering a distress call from Firelord, the Guardians of the Galaxy help a planet in peril, this Ghost Rider eventually helps to destroy the threat”
So if you wanna be faithful to the original material, Spirit Of Vengeance is not Johnny Blaze or maybe the story will have Blaze in a showdown with Spirit Of Vengeance somehow but I’m just shooting in the dark here.
A couple of months ago, screenwriter David Goyer who once said that his script for GHOST RIDER 2 was actually something that was already written 9 years ago but the studio chose to go with Mark Steven Johnson’s story instead for the Affleck flick in 2003, explained that he’s basically polishing his 9-year old script intended to be rated R but studio wants it PG-13, Goyer assures the fans that they might get away with a few things just like The Dark Knight did. He also implied that you don’t need to watch the first movie to watch GHOST RIDER 2. The character will be in a much darker, existential place. Nic Cage said back in the summer that he wants the story to go international.
De Luca said it’s a combination of both, what David wrote and Nic’s original idea. So the film is going to take place in Europe, if all goes well, production for GHOST RIDER 2 might start next year.
2 things for sure, thankfully Mark Steven Johnson will NOT be returning to direct but sadly Eva Mendes will NOT be returning as Roxanne Simpson either.
The sequel will be like pushing the reset button on the franchise. I really don’t like that statement because it suggests reboot to a certain point but it’s bullcrap calling it reset if Nic Cage is still the lead star.
De Luca is open to the idea of Goyer directing the project. I personally don’t think Goyer should because he’s a better writer than he is a director, The Invisible and The Unborn were lame.
Last but not least, of course.. the movie might get 3D treatment. Goyer has delivered his updated outline to the studio.
