Ghost Rider 2 revs up

The sequel you demanded is getting its motor running — Sony and Marvel are filling the fuel tank for GHOST RIDER 2: STILL FLAMING.

Sony hopes to put screenwriter and comic regular David Goyer (BLADE, BATMAN BEGINS) in the driver seat for the sequel (actual subtitle pending), and Nic Cage is expected to return as stuntman-turned-fireskulled-spirit-of-vengeance Johnny Blaze.

Goyer is reportedly just setting up the story, and then supervising the inevitable writer(s). No word yet on the story, but it will probably not involve Wes Bentley or parchment.

Like most studios that aren’t Disney, Sony (who also has Spidey) is keeping new sequels/reboots of Marvel properties in the pipe so they won’t have to relinquish them back to the House of Ideas and the Mouse House. (Marvel sold off movie rights for various major and minor characters to different studios back in the 90s during their financial devastation, and as long as their current homes continue to utilize the characters under their umbrella, they’ll keep the rights.)

Similarly, Fox is keeping Wolverine, the X-Men, Daredevil, Fantastic Four and the Silver Surfer alive in some way, and Universal is pushing Sub-Mariner. Paramount is still distributing the Marvel-owned flicks featuring Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Nick Fury and the Avengers.