MCU Fans Push for Nicolas Cage’s Ghost Rider Comeback

With the much-hyped return of Tobey Maguire and Hugh Jackman in Avengers: Doomsday, Marvel diehards are now turning their attention to another familiar face. Punters are keen for Kevin Feige to bring Nicolas Cage back into the fold, hoping he’ll reprise his role as Ghost Rider in the next big Multiverse Saga instalment.

Cage, a well-known Marvel Comics tragic, famously chased the part of Ghost Rider and even had a crack at landing the Green Goblin gig in Spider-Man before Willem Dafoe got the nod. He’d apparently chatted with Sam Raimi about the villainous role, but his schedule was chockers with other projects at the time. Stan Lee himself once said,

“He’d be a great Green Goblin.”

Despite missing out on that, Cage’s superhero journey didn’t end there. He was also in the running to play Superman in Tim Burton’s never-made Superman Lives, and he’s now set to star in Sony’s live-action Spider-Man Noir series.

While his take on Ghost Rider didn’t quite reach the cult status of Dafoe’s Green Goblin, Cage still managed to win over a fair few fans as the fiery anti-hero. Now, Marvel enthusiasts are hoping Feige will give him another shot as Johnny Blaze, joining the ranks of other returning legends from across the Marvel multiverse.

Missed Chances and Rumours of a Return

Ryan Reynolds recently let slip that Cage’s Ghost Rider was originally meant to pop up in Deadpool & Wolverine, the billion-dollar MCU hit. In an interview, Reynolds revealed Cage was on the shortlist of Marvel heroes who’d join Deadpool and Wolverine in their showdown with Emma Corrin’s Cassandra Nova. He said he’d spoken with Cage about it, but it ended up being a “no-go”. Cage hasn’t donned the leather jacket since Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance back in 2011. Since then, Marvel’s introduced a new Ghost Rider in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., with Gabriel Luna playing the Robbie Reyes version.

There’s been a steady stream of whispers and insider tips suggesting Cage could be back as Johnny Blaze. Daniel Richtman, a well-known industry tipster, has claimed on his Patreon that Cage is set to return in an upcoming MCU project. Fans are crossing their fingers that he’ll show up alongside other veterans in either Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars.

Old Favourites Set for a Comeback

Daniel Richtman has also been stirring the pot with talk of Maguire and Jackman making a splash in the next Avengers flick. He reckons Maguire’s Spider-Man and Jackman’s Wolverine will go toe-to-toe in Doomsday. Richtman even posted a snap on social media hinting that Maguire’s web-slinger won’t be an easy mark for the bloke with adamantium claws.

Early speculation had Maguire pegged for a big role in Tom Holland’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but the latest word is that neither Maguire nor Andrew Garfield will be joining Holland this time around. While Maguire’s future in Spider-Man 4 is still up in the air, Richtman says he’ll definitely be back for Doomsday alongside Jackman.

Multiverse Saga’s Expanding Roster

Talk of Maguire and Jackman’s involvement in the Multiverse Saga finale has been swirling since 2023, back when Marvel was still planning The Kang Dynasty. At one point, it was rumoured that Maguire and Jackman would lead the TVA’s multiversal army against Kang. Now, though, it looks like they won’t be teaming up in the next MCU outing, which is set to feature Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom.

With all these returning legends and the possibility of Cage’s Ghost Rider making a comeback, fans are buzzing about what’s next for the MCU. Ghost Rider is currently streaming on Starz with AppleTV.