A new motorcyclist is about to roar onto Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and there’s something fiery about him. Now, thanks to Entertainment Weekly, we have our first look at actor Gabriel Luna as Robbie Reyes, also known as Ghost Rider:
Marvel fans know Ghost Rider as a mystical antihero from the 1970s and ’80s. However, the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of a character is always unique in some way. Who is Robbie Reyes, and how will Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. handle his mythology? Let’s take a closer look at the show’s newest antihero.
Who is Ghost Rider?
Since Ghost Rider’s debut in 1973, several characters have taken up the mantle of the Spirit of Vengeance. Johnny Blaze was the first Ghost Rider, whom Nicholas Cage portrayed in the two-part Ghost Rider film series. On the other hand, Robbie Reyes has only been around for two years in the mainstream Marvel Universe. As part of the 2014 All-New Marvel NOW! event, writer Felipe Smith and artist Tradd Moore created Reyes as the protagonist of their series, All-New Ghost Rider.
Robert “Robbie” Reyes is a Mexian American car mechanic from Los Angeles. His younger brother, Gabe, is paraplegic, and his family lives in a crime-ridden district. Family is extremely important to Robbie, and his search for a safer neighborhood sparks a chain of events that transforms him into the third Ghost Rider.
How Will Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Handle Reyes?
With Doctor Strange gearing up to enchant theaters in November, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to get much more mystical — and magical. This will be the perfect time for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to incorporate Ghost Rider. It remains to be seen how the show will adapt Robbie Reyes’s backstory. Executive producer Jed Whedon said they are staying true to the character’s touchstones from the comics, specifically his “family dynamic and the East L.A. kid in him.”
Will Robbie Reyes have a connection to the Inhumans? Maybe not, but S.H.I.E.L.D. will doubtlessly wonder whether his powers are tied to magic. Also, it’s worth noting that in the comics, Robbie has an indirect encounter with Calvin Zabo. Cal, of course, is the father of Agent Daisy Johnson, who left S.H.I.E.L.D. to become the vigilante Quake. We’ll just have to wait and see how Ghost Rider fits into the new S.H.I.E.L.D.
Gabriel Luna is a true fan of Ghost Rider, and I couldn’t be happier about his casting — as well as the fact that he’ll have his classic Hell Charger. Catch Luna as the Spirit of Vengeance in “The Ghost,” the season four premiere of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “The Ghost” premieres on ABC on Tuesday, September 20 at 10:00 p.m.