We finally have our first live-action glimpse of Ghost Rider. We’ll meet Robbie Reyes in the first episode, ‘The Ghost,’ when Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premieres Sept. 20 on ABC.
The promo, released in a cell phone-style video, shows Ghost Rider’s car peeling away. An onlooker says, “Oh my God! Is that him? That’s him!”
Found footage of #GhostRider. #AgentsofSHIELD https://t.co/qMAJFIpuQM
— Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (@AgentsofSHIELD) September 4, 2016
Robbie Reyes was just a young mechanic living in L.A. before he entered a street race and stepped into a car inhabited by the ghost of Eli Morrow, who was killed by gang members. The ghost ends up possessing Robbie’s body after he’s shot to death, and Ghost Rider soon becomes a local hero.
Robbie’s relationship with his black muscle car is telekinetic. In Ghost Rider form, Robbie can teleport to or become one with his car. Ghost Rider can remotely control his car, and his trunk is a portal that can teleport people anywhere. When Ghost Rider’s in his fiery form, his supernatural powers render bullets and knives uneffective, making him nearly indestructible.
Along with the teaser, ABC released an official photo of Gabriel Luna as Robbie Reyes wearing his classic black leather jacket.
First look at Robbie Reyes. The new Ghost Rider! It's lit ?? #AgentsofSHIELD pic.twitter.com/Ad1ehuQqPy
— Geeks of Color (@GeeksOfColor) September 4, 2016
“As always, we are going to put our own spin on the character,” Executive Producer Jed Whedon tells Entertainment Weekly. “We are staying true to the comics in the places where we feel like it’s really important — we love the character’s family dynamic and the East L.A. kid in him.”
Part of Robbie’s motivation to rid the streets of L.A. of violent gangs is to protect his mentally disabled brother, Gabe. If he had won the street race (where he eventually became Ghost Rider), he was going to use the prize money to move his brother out of L.A. In the comics, Robbie later finds out Eli, the demon trapped inside him, is his long-lost uncle who was a serial killer. He was also the one who pushed Robbie’s mother down the stairs while she was pregnant with Gabe, which caused his mental disabilities. Ghost Rider is considered an anti-hero because he made a compromise with Eli to kill only people with evil souls.
Agents of SHIELD Season 4 premieres Sept. 20. How closely do you think Ghost Rider’s story should follow the comics? Let us know in the comments below!
