The ever-changing landscape of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has always allowed for the impossible to happen. But that has been so much more the case ever since the franchise began adapting the story of the multiverse. Yes, the ongoing Multiverse Saga has opened up the world of the MCU to possibilities and capabilities beyond what anyone ever thought possible. And it's been a thrilling experience to see some of these "impossibilities" come to life on both the big screen and the small one.
From returning Marvel movie stars from years-gone-by to fan-castings we genuinely thought wouldn't happen on the screen, the franchise has been making even the most seemingly outlandish of ideas come to fruition in recent years. Heck, it even made Hugh Jackman's Wolverine don the iconic yellow-and-blue suit for the first time in live-action ever. Now that's remarkable.
Now, it sounds like a particular hero we've been hoping would return might do just that. The most curious part, however, is that it might not be in the most likely of places.
Nicolas Cage rumored to return as Ghost Rider (but not in Avengers: Doomsday)
According to prolific insider Alex Perez, Nicolas Cage is expected to make his long-awaited return as Ghost Rider with an appearance in the MCU. The scooper responded to a question during their recent Q&A with fans via The Cosmic Circus about whether the veteran actor would reprise the role, saying that they "heard he could be, but not in Doomsday".
Fans are anticipating a multitude of multiversal returns in either Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars, and Cage's Ghost Rider was one of the names they were hoping for. But if the first of those films is ruled out as a potential option, does that make Avengers: Secret Wars the most likely possibility? In a word: Probably.
According to a number of insiders, Doomsday is set to see an incursion result in the collapse of the multiverse, with Doctor Doom swooping in to keep things together with Battleworld. If that turns out to be the case, then it would suggest that Secret Wars would be the much more likely option for those multiversal returns - after all, the first of the two films will likely focus on the MCU's world, whereas the second would then be focused on bringing them together.
Cage first portrayed the iconic role in the 2007 Ghost Rider movie before returned in the 2011 sequel The Spirit of Vengeance. Although neither of the movies were critical masterpieces, audiences responded well to Cage's memorable performance as the titular Marvel hero and championed the possibility of seeing him again.
It nearly happened in Deadpool and Wolverine last year, it seems, as star Ryan Reynolds reportedly wanted him to appear in the film (alongside Jennifer Garner's Elektra, Wesley Snipes' Blade, and Channing Tatum's Gambit) but it didn't work out. Even so, it seems that the rumors of his eventual return to the role are persisting, and with that possibility still on the horizon, the only question is: Where exactly on the horizon could it happen?
Secret Wars does seem like the most likely option but there is another, somewhat unlikely, one. That would be the long-rumored Midnight Sons project. Ghost Rider is expected to play a major role in that film whenever it comes to fruition, but it's expected to be a new actor playing the MCU version of the character. And given that the Multiverse Saga will be over whenever it comes out, that seemingly rules out an appearance of Nicolas Cage's version.
But again, anything can happen in the MCU, so we'll have to wait and see if this turns out to be true. In the meantime, we'll just enjoy the journey of waiting for the character's return.