According to the most recent rumors, Ghost Rider is one of the Marvel comic book characters who will be featured in a Netflix series. And, if you saw just a couple of episodes from Daredevil or Jessica Jones, you know that there is no better place for the anti-hero to appear.
Nicholas Cage has already done two Ghost Rider movies - but they can be hardly called Marvel flicks, and both received a poor reception from both fans and critics. So maybe after the Punisher (who also had a couple of big screen movies released with the same outcome) it will be this anti-hero who gets the Netflix treatment.
Norman Reedus as the Ghost Rider (NSFW image)
This is just wishful thinking - but I do believe that Norman Reedus would make a great Ghost Rider. Yes, he is tied up now with The Walking Dead, but still - that is why this is wishful thinking. He can ride a bike, he already proved that he can go against hordes of hellish beings, he is awesome with a chain (below), and he could bring scores of fans to Netflix.
He is really good with a chain - even if this is a pretty unrealistic scene, he kicks major butt!
Yes, he is not an accomplished actor as far as big screen movies are concerned - but that doesn't really count, as it doesn't for any of the other actors on the list. A Ghost Rider role would make Reedus a bigger star than any other accomplished big screen actors.
Jensen Ackles
Back to Supernatural - I guess you saw this coming. What if Dean became the Ghost Rider? What if Jensen Ackles was cast as the supernatural anti-hero?
Of course, we have to mention a familiar problem…he’s already the star of a successful show. But there is no such thing as too much when it comes to good TV series. Jensen Ackles can play dark characters like nobody else and can switch between emotions instantly. So he'd be a great actor for the role of Ghost Rider!
Furthermore, he'd also bring his fan base with him. And I’m very certain that Netflix is searching for a means to make its TV series even more successful (as always, obviously).
Of course, just like Dean, the Ghost Rider will be killing some demons. But it would be a change for the actor, since this character is demonic, himself!
Jared Padalecki
If you’re going to make a TV series about a supernatural anti-hero, doesn’t it make sense to turn to an actor who has already appeared in a show about the supernatural? As it happens, Jared Padalecki appears in Supernatural.
He has already portrayed a character connected with demonic forces, so the role of Ghost Rider would be a good fit.
There might be a problem, since his show is still going strong. But the Netflix series airs only 13 episodes each season, and there is quite a time gap between seasons, so he would have plenty of time to become one of the riders. Which one of them?
Any would do just fine. With some nifty special effects, Jared Padalecki would make the perfect rider. And think about this - this would be a TV series, so the actor won't have to appear engulfed in flames all the time. And this would give him the opportunity to showcase his acting chops.
Scott Caan
Scott Caan, the son of tough guy James Caan, would bring something new to the character, if he ended up playing him on Netflix. He would bring a mix of smug superiority and arrogance, with a bit of vulnerability just under the surface.
He already stars in a successful TV series (Hawaii Five O), so no one can say that he can’t attract the fans. He may not be as well-known as his father, but he has appeared as a supporting character in quite a few hits, including the Ocean's Eleven movies and Gone in 60 Seconds. So maybe that will change.
And let's be honest - if Marvel and Netflix are searching for a Ghost Rider actor who isn't too well-known (as often happens), but at the same time has a familiar face, Scott Caan is a cool actor for the role.
Jamie Campbell Bower
Jamie Campbell Bower may be best known for his Twilight Saga role, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have the acting chops to play Ghost Rider. Just check him out in Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones and you will see why he is on this list.
Certainly, his career isn't too fascinating; he’s appeared in big screen movies, but just in supporting roles. But this could change if the powers that be cast him as the new Ghost Rider. Furthermore, just take a good look at him.
He is already the Ghost Rider - all that he needs are some flames and a cool looking bike!
Taylor Kitsch
He might be the most widely known actor on this list thus far - even so, he still hasn't starred in a movie worthy of his talent. Taylor Kitsch was literally wasted in movies like John Carter and Battleship. Even True Detective (which helped cement the McConaissance) didn't do him justice, and didn't get him the recognition he deserves.
Check out Lone Survivor, and you will see the gravitas Taylor Kitsch can bring to a role. Or check out Savages, and see how good he can be in an action piece.
Cast some flames around him, put him on a bike, and you have Ghost Rider!
Netflix needs to choose an actor who can show range and who can switch between 2 emotional states in the blink of the eye. I believe that Taylor Kitsch can be that actor. However, if the powers that be don't choose him, then they might look at another great Lone Survivor actor, whose acting skills were also wasted in quite a few movies, until now.
Ben Foster
At 36 years of age, Ben Foster has quite a rich filmography, having starred in movies such as Lone Survivor, Pandorum, and 3:10 to Yuma. However, even if he played one hell of a supporting role in most of them, he still ended up being underused - just check out Yuma, and you’ll see.
As a comparison, Foster is just like Charlie Cox: He’s appeared in a quite a few flicks, but without actually managing to break the ranks. And that is a shame.
If Netflix intends to spend more time with the Ghost Rider’s human alter-ego (which will probably happen, since too many CGI effects would bloat the budget), Ben Foster is the actor they need to hire, ASAP.
If Jon Bernthal, who isn't really a terrific actor, did a tremendous job as the Punisher, Ben Foster would kill it as the Ghost Rider.
Garrett Hedlund
At this point, I have no idea why Garrett Hedlund isn't a bigger star. Admittedly, he has appeared in some pretty generic (and unnecessary) movies, but he’s also proved his versatility as an actor in some others. And that is why he is highly recommendable as Ghost Rider.
I'd pretty much want to see him be successful in building a career on the big screen. However, I wouldn't mind at all if he made it into the MCU via Netflix. What a Ghost Rider needs is exactly what he has - the ability to both inspire and frighten.
Leave aside the big blockbusters such as Pan and TRON: Legacy in which he played. His acting chops can be seen in other movies, the smaller ones, where he isn't pressured into being cheesy just for the sake of bigger box-office returns.
Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland tried at one time to be a big movie star. He didn't make it, even if his biggest role is actually in a cult favorite. Instead, he made it big on the small screen, in the long-running TV series 24, highly praised by the critics and more than beloved by audiences.
Kiefer Sutherland may be a bit older (ok, much older) than others on the list. But this can count as experience - and, if we look at his filmography, he has plenty of it. As a matter of fact, I still wonder why he wasn't approached for the role thus far.
He has the physicality needed for the role, he has proven himself as a small-screen actor, and now he has more than enough time on his hands. So, yeah, Kiefer Sutherland would make a great Ghost Rider.
Travis Fimmel
He's a badass - and any actor playing Ghost Rider needs to be a badass.
Travis Fimmel doesn't have such an impressive filmography - as a matter of fact, he is known just for playing the fierce Ragnar in the Vikings TV series. But that was enough for him to score a main role in one of 2016’s biggest movies (Warcraft). As a further testament of his skill, he will also portray a lead in All Quiet on the Western Front - and that says more than enough for me.
So what if he switches from wielding an axe to wielding a chain? And what if he rides a bike instead of a horse? And what if he was on fire while doing this?!
I can totally dig Travis Fimmel as a Ghost Rider.
Charlie Hunnam
If you didn't consider Charlie Hunnam as a Ghost Rider type of actor before, then I don't know who you might have considered. Charlie Hunnam is exactly the kind of actor Marvel hires - you know you saw him before, but you can't actually say in what movie (let's be real, Pacific Rim is quite forgettable).
And he is highly recommendable because of a TV show: Sons of Anarchy, in which he was a biker. And a biker is what Ghost Rider needs - a tough-as-nails actor, who is more than just a thug, but who can also get his point across to anybody in his path.
He has quite a few movies lined up for the next few years, including a Guy Ritchie project due out in 2017, Knights of the Roundtable, in which he’ll portray King Arthur. So Netflix and Marvel should hurry up if they plan on actually having a biker portray the biker from hell.
Scott Eastwood
Speaking of tough as nails actors, Scott Eastwood hasn't proven himself as one - however, he is the son of the toughest of them all. So he has that, at least.
But he has more than just that - he is a rising star who will prove himself as an actor in the near future, he looks the part, and he feels at home in darker and grittier movies (yes, he had just a minor role in Fury, but he still nailed it).
Yes, he will appear in Suicide Squad - but, as far as we know, he'll be just a simple soldier, tasked with protecting Flag and keeping the squad in check. So Marvel should move faster if they want to add a legendary name to their ever-expanding cinematic universe.
On the other hand, I wouldn't mind it if Eastwood ended up playing Deathstroke.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Yes, he is now the big baddie of The Walking Dead. But still - if Marvel and Netflix are going to move ahead with a Ghost Rider movie, Jeffrey Dean Morgan might be the best on this list to tackle the role. He has scored quite a few big roles for the big screen, the biggest being in Watchmen, and he has appeared in quite a few TV series.
So it cannot be said that he hasn't got it. And if you find an actor who looks the part better than he does, please let me know.
As said, he is now the big baddie of The Walking Dead. However, how long will he last? I can bet that it won't be for too long. And since a Ghost Rider movie won't happen until 2018 (since 2017 is already packed), there is plenty of time for him to clear his schedule.
Marvel needs to do it and needs to do it now!
