Deadpool & Wolverine Opens the R-Rated Door for the MCU’s Blade

When Deadpool was under the ownership of 20th Century Fox, the character was allowed to be as R-rated as he wanted to be. When Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool was announced to be coming to the MCU, fans were worried that he would be held back to fit a PG-13 rating, yet this was not the case. Deadpool & Wolverine was the MCU’s first hard R-rated film and fans couldn’t be more excited. Opening up the door to R-rated movies allows the MCU more freedom to explore new characters, and there’s one Marvel character in particular that the MCU should give an R-rated adaptation.

R-rated superhero movies have gained a strong track record of success, with Deadpool & Wolverine becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time. It’s not that being R-rated instantly makes a movie better, but some characters are objectively better when given the freedom to be violent or crude. Characters like Daredevil and Punisher flourished when Netflix allowed them to be as dark and violent as needed. The MCU has been struggling recently, with many fans divided on the most recent entries to the franchise. More R-rated projects might just give the MCU the push it needs to win over its divided fanbase.

Updated by Alex Roush on November 3, 2024: Many Marvel fans would love to see Ghost Rider in the MCU, and the only way that can be done properly is with an R-rating. With Marvel amping up its R-rated productions, this prospect doesn’t seem too far off. This article has been updated to include more information about Marvel’s R-rated series and movies, enhance the reader experience, and adhere to CBR formatting guidelines.

Who is Ghost Rider?

The Character Has Yet To Appear in Any Canon MCU Projects

Ghost Rider first appeared in Marvel Spotlight #5 in 1972 and was created by Gary Friedrich, Roy Thomas, and Mike Ploog. Johnny Blaze, the original Ghost Rider, was a stunt driver in a circus until his adoptive father developed cancer. This caused Johnny to look for answers in the occult. As he dove further into the world of the dark arts, he ended up summoning Mephisto. Blaze made a bargain for his soul to save his father from cancer, but this meant that Mephisto just killed him differently. As Blaze lashed out at Mephisto and drove him away, Mephisto bonded Blaze to a malevolent spirit called Zarathos. Bonded with this spirit, Ghost Rider began to punish evil wherever he encountered it, serving vengeance against evil and protecting innocent people. Johnny can transform any vehicle into a flaming, super-fast version, and some Ghost Riders have even transformed animals. He also wields a powerful weapon: Ghost Rider’s Penance Stare. When the Rider stares into his victim’s eyes, he forces them to experience all the pain that they have given to others.

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Ghost Rider has been adapted in live-action multiple times, including Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and two films with Nicolas Cage. While the character has never been officially in the MCU, the Robbie Reyes version of Ghost Rider appeared in multiple episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. This series was deeply connected to the MCU for its first couple of seasons, even having crossover characters and stories. Yet, the main MCU movies refused to acknowledge the existence of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., making it harder and harder for fans to figure out if the show was considered to be canon. The release of the Official Marvel Timeline confirmed that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was not canon, leaving Ghost Rider out of the MCU also. While there are constant rumors about Ghost Rider in the MCU, there is still no official announcement on when or if he will be appearing.

The PG-13 Limits of Ghost Rider Have Already Been Proven

The Character is Ready for a More Mature Audience

Ghost Rider may not have an MCU appearance but even non-comic book fans are already familiar with the character thanks to Nicolas Cage’s outings as the character in Ghost Rider and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. These movies saw a flaming rider deal with various criminal elements and while Nic Cage captured the spirit of a man possessed, the films failed to embrace the more horrific parts of the comics. Ghost Rider is a dangerous and visceral Marvel character whose powers by their very nature are violent. He wields flaming chains, burns people with his touch, and unleashes horrific psychological torture on people. It’s impossible to bring these aspects to life within the confines of a PG-13 movie. Both Ghost Rider and Spirit of Vengeance tried to show the danger and fear of Ghost Rider but lacked the dark elements required to truly bring the character to life.

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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. created a compelling version of the Rider, but it still lacked the same body horror and intense stories from the comics. Even Ghost Rider’s transformation from Robbie Reyes, or Johnny Blaze, calls for significant gruesomeness. Both the Ghost Rider movies and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. did a decent job of showing the Ghost Rider’s transformation, as his face tears and melts away to reveal the flaming skull underneath. However, an R-rated movie could make this one of the most memorable scenes in the MCU. When Ghost Rider emerges, it not only represents the fear that his enemies should feel, but it shows how Blaze and Reyes both have to “die” and have their sins burned away for the Ghost Rider to emerge and wield his tremendous power.

Ghost Rider is the MCU’s Path to Hell

He Could Help the MCU Introduce Other Popular Characters, Like Mephisto

For a long time, fans of the MCU have suspected that Mephisto is lurking around the corner at many events in the MCU. Every time something strange or mystical happens, fans look for Mephisto to appear and claim ownership of the deadly situation. Johnny Blaze is the perfect character to bring the MCU to Hell and finally introduce the Red Devil himself. Ghost Rider’s story is tied to Mephisto, one cannot exist without the other. For the MCU to dive even further into the dark arts, Ghost Rider can be the gateway to that path. Agatha and her spinoff are a great start, but Ghost Rider and Mephisto can further elevate the story of dark magic in the MCU. Even Robbie Reyes’ connection to the Darkhold can help tie the Ghost Rider to characters like Agatha or Scarlet Witch, possibly leading to her resurrection.

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How Many Ghost Rider Movies Are There?

Though he might not have a movie of his own in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ghost Rider has had previous cinematic appearances on the big screen.

Ghost Rider is one of the most requested characters for the MCU to introduce and Deadpool & Wolverine provides the opening it needs. Deadpool & Wolverine shows that R-rated films are viable, even in the MCU. Hopefully, this will allow other characters like Ghost Rider to follow the same path. Ghost Rider needs an R-rated adaptation, even Nic Cage thinks so, so it would be a disservice to the character for the MCU to have another PG-13 version of the Spirit of Vengeance.

Marvel’s Next R-Rated Project Comes March 2025

Daredevil: Born Again Was Initially Announced in 2022

Daredevil: Born Again will be Marvel’s next live-action series to hit Disney+. It carries a TV-MA rating, the TV equivalent of an R-rating, and will premiere on March 04, 2025. The series was first announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2022 and was originally slated to release in Spring 2024, but delays due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes pushed Daredevil: Born Again to 2025. Kevin Feige announced at D23 in 2024 that filming will begin soon for a second season.

Marvel Studios released a “Look Ahead” to show fans what to expect in the next couple of years, which teased Daredevil: Born Again and five other Marvel series coming to Disney+. Among them was another R-rated show, Marvel Zombies, which fans can stream in October 2025. The MCU is interested in increasing its R-rated presence, and a new Ghost Rider movie might be exactly what the studio needs as it expands into more mature spaces.

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Created by Marvel Studios, the Marvel Cinematic Universe follows heroes across the galaxy and across realities as they defend the universe from evil.

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