Nearly six years have passed since Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ended after 136 episodes across seven seasons. Since then, fans have been continually expressing their requests for characters from the landmark Marvel series to show up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With Avengers: Doomsday on the horizon, fans are especially clamoring for the return of Daisy Johnson/Quake, noting how her powers could be a potential asset against Doctor Doom.
Daisy was rumored to be in Secret Invasion, only not to show up, so fans continue to mention their desire for the Inhuman hero to make a proper MCU appearance. The agent who started it all, Phil Coulson, remains beloved and is still someone fans want to see again — even if it’s as his LMD counterpart. As the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Alphonso Mackenzie could be easy to incorporate into MCU projects. There’s also FitzSimmons, whose scientific genius could be of use in the MCU even if they retired from S.H.I.E.L.D. As skilled fighters and agents, both Melinda May and Elena "Yo-Yo" Rodriguez could be assets, too.
While it could be fun to see that iconic S.H.I.E.L.D. team again, perhaps the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. character who should return more than any other isn’t a main character, an agent, or even a S.H.I.E.L.D. legend like Daniel Sousa but rather Gabriel Luna’s Robbie Reyes/Ghost Rider.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s best season is partially thanks to Robbie Reyes/Ghost Rider
Robbie is an integral part of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 4, which is widely regarded as the show’s best. The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. team did a great job at adapting the character’s story for television while paying homage to his comics origins. The introduction to Robbie’s Ghost Rider and his Hell Charger will always be one of the show’s most awesome, iconic moments.
Robbie’s Ghost Rider was a thrilling way to dive into the supernatural side of the Marvel universe and lead into the Framework arc. He was initially an antagonistic type of character, fighting Quake and working against the S.H.I.E.L.D. team. But their shared goal in getting rid of the Darkhold, stopping his Uncle Eli Morrow, and defeating A.I.D.A. led to an inevitable but memorable team-up. And that’s where his story ended — both on the show and in general.
A Ghost Rider series starring Luna was once set to air on Hulu. But it ultimately fell through and never came to fruition. In September 2019, Deadline reported the show wasn’t moving forward due to a “creative impasse.” It is, however, worth noting that the news came months before Disney+ debuted and ahead of Marvel Studios venturing into shows.
Robbie Reyes deserves more than his Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. storyline
Nowadays, TV and streaming series have a tougher time getting to conclude on their own terms, instead being canceled by networks and studios without a legitimate ending. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., however, ended right before the current era of TV — prior to the rise of streaming and seasons typically lasting for eight to 10 episodes. So Daisy, Coulson, May, FitzSimmons, and the rest of the team got to have proper endings to their stories. Robbie got a conclusion to his arc on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but it was a storyline that aided the larger narrative more than anything else.
As awesome as it was to explore Robbie’s story in relation to S.H.I.E.L.D., that was just a glimpse at his potential. It didn’t allow him to be the center of the narrative. He never got to show what he can offer as the lead. The Hulu series was supposed to be his chance at that. It could have even been a chance to tackle darker narratives and further embrace the supernatural elements that come with Ghost Rider. But that’s why Robbie deserves to be part of more storylines, be featured for his own adventures, and be the main component of a project.
The representation Robbie provides as a Latino character is also important. If Marvel is meant to reflect “the world outside your window," as Stan Lee once said, then it’s essential that the MCU has a diverse cast of characters. The MCU currently has some Latino representation in Joaquín Torres/Falcon, America Chavez, and Angela del Toro — which is great — but there’s no reason to stop there. Robbie became a fan favorite when he was on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., so bringing him back would surely be well-received.
Ghost Rider’s future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Luna’s Ghost Rider has become a more popular topic of discussion as of late due to the news from San Diego Comic-Con about Ryan Gosling leading a Ghost Rider movie scheduled for theatrical release in 2028. While Gosling will be playing a different version of Ghost Rider, his movie is set to be the first live-action Ghost Rider appearance since Luna’s Ghost Rider was on the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 4 finale in 2017.
Seeing as Gosling is playing a different version of Ghost Rider, it’s not technically correct to claim him as a replacement for Luna’s Ghost Rider. But it’s fair to see how Marvel’s decision to move ahead with a new Ghost Rider project feels like the end of Luna’s portrayal of the character. So it’s understandable for fans to get nostalgic about Luna’s performance and wonder about what could’ve been with Robbie.
As recently as last year, Luna expressed his interest in reprising his role as Robbie, sharing his eagerness in an interview with Comic Book Movie. Gosling’s Ghost Rider movie will be set in a post-Secret Wars MCU, so it’s tough to gauge what the project could look like and be about. But it could be fun to see Luna make his long-awaited comeback by appearing in the film (even if his Ghost Rider wouldn’t be the main feature). And if Nicolas Cage’s Ghost Rider could make a cameo as well, that would be a real treat and could make for an even more fun experience.
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