Welp, it sounds as if Hulu's plans to launch a live-action series featuring Marvel's GHOST RIDER starring Gabriel Luna have gone straight to hell.
Hulu had snagged two live action series hailing from Marvel Television in May – those projects being GHOST RIDER and HELSTROM. In what we've heard from Deadline – who exclusively broke the GHOST RIDER news on Wednesday afternoon – HELSTROM is still a go at the high-end streaming service. Word has it that creative differences is what lead to Hulu taking the air our of Ghost Rider's tires, and now it would seem as if the project is nothing more than a heap at the side of a long and desolate road. That being said, there's always a chance that GHOST RIDER could be shopped elsewhere. On Disney+ perhaps?
Marvel's GHOST RIDER was to be executive produced by Ingrid Escajeda (who also would have serves as showrunner) Paul Zbyszewski and Marvel Television’s Jeph Loeb. Escajeda (JUSTIFIED, EMPIRE) issued a statement back in May expressing how much she loves the character, and how his story wwould have allowed her to “scare the $&!# out of people!”
“I couldn’t be more excited and honored to be handed the reins to a Marvel character as beloved as GHOST RIDER. This story hits every note for me—my love for grounded yet conflicted characters and my desire to scare the $&!# out of people! It’s important to me to find a take that thrills existing fans as well as wider audiences and I believe we’ve done just that,” said Escajeda, back when the GHOST RIDER idea was just a spark that could start a larger fire for Marvel's Hulu status.
Marvel's Ghost Rider has taken many forms throughout his comic book career, though this iteration would have centered on Robbie Reyes, a man who lives on the Texas/Mexico border and has become spiritually tethered to a demon. By channeling his unique abilities to punish the wicked, Robbie unleashes the Rider to exact all manner of hellfire justice on his enemies. Gabriel Luna played the character in the fourth season of AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. and would have reprised the role for Marvel's GHOST RIDER.
For now, Marvel still has several shows set up at Hulu, including a third season of MARVEL'S RUNAWAYS and the planned HELSTROM adaptation. The streamer also has plans to unleash four animated series from the comic book brand, MARVEL'S M.O.D.O.K., MARVEL'S HIT-MONKEY, MARVEL'S TIGRA & DAZZLER SHOW and MARVEL'S HOWARD THE DUCK. Each is set for a 2020 debut and will culminate in a special event titled MARVEL'S THE OFFENDERS.
Pour one out for GHOST RIDER, friends, and hope that the character gets the chance to burn brightly on another platform down the road.