https://thenerdsofcolor.org/2017/07/07/robbie-reyesghost-rider-should-be-mcus-first-r-rated-film/

The television side of the MCU hasn’t crossed over to the film side yet for many reasons. However, I think Robbie Reyes would be the perfect bridge to officially connect these sides of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and also for Marvel Studios to have the first R-rated film on their roster. If you’ve watched season four of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., or at least have a good idea of what happened in the season, you’ll know that Robbie Reyes a.k.a Ghost Rider appeared; and he was freaking awesome! Robbie Reyes needs a solo project, and he should be one of  the characters that should get an R-rated film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

If you follow me on Twitter, you’ll probably know that I’m passionate about the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Whether I’m tweeting about characters I’d love to see join the MCU, praising a film or an episode, or even sometimes being disappointed by something, and gushing about an actor in the MCU; you’ll know that I do not stray away from discussing Marvel despite how much I love Marvel. One thing that Marvel Studios/Marvel Television has done right however is Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. AOS is one of the more diverse projects the MCU has done, which is one of the reasons I love that show. Also, they just tell really damn good stories. And one of the best stories and characters, they have brought to life is Robbie Reyes played by Gabriel Luna.

Robbie Reyes is a legacy character of the mantle Ghost Rider; though he is not the first Ghost Rider, he should be the only active Ghost Rider in all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Gabriel Luna and the writers of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. have done a wonderful job bringing Robbie to life. Gabriel is so compelling as Robbie, and I want more than just a recurring role on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios, has recently said that at some point they’ll make an R-rated film. So, why not a Robbie Reyes/Ghost Rider R-rated film?

Not only would this be Marvel Studios first R-rated film, it would be Marvel’s first film led by a Latino actor playing a Latino character. Representation of POC in mainstream media is very important, especially in comic book properties where often times non-white people don’t get to see themselves as heroes or the leading protagonist. Latinx people have some of the lowest representation in film and T.V. already that isn’t a comic book property, so you can imagine where the representation is at for Latinx people in comic book properties. This would be a perfect opportunity for the film side of the MCU to explore Latinx community while giving us a complex and compelling protagonist.

I got to chat with Desiree Rodriguez about the importance of Robbie Reyes being on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, and also the idea of him having his own solo film in the MCU:

Let me first say, I’m not a big Ghost Rider fan. The first Ghost Rider anything I watched was the original movie with Nicholas Cage. That being said, when I read Felipe Smith’s Robbie Reyes: Ghost Rider I was instantly pulled in. A persistent aspect of Latinx representation in comics is the lack of authenticity of our community. Robbie felt authentic probably due in part that Smith himself is Afro-Latino. Latinx fans are hungry for better representation in our media; Robbie is a great opportunity to explore that hunger further. He was very popular during his story on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and rightfully so, Luna did a great job portraying the character. Latinx audiences make up a huge portion of movie goers, why not bank on that untapped pool?

I couldn’t agree more with Desiree! Why not bank on that untapped pool? And Marvel Studios has become such a staple in mainstream media, that I’m sure people of all races would show up. However, a Robbie Reyes solo film with Gabriel Luna headlining the film, Marvel would bring an even bigger Latinx audience to their films going forward and possibly introduce new readers to the comics as well. If people are shown that people similar to them existence in this world and are heroes, anti-heroes, and love interests, they’re more likely to show up to see said project. This is an opportunity that shouldn’t be passed up whatsoever.

A Ghost Rider/Robbie Reyes solo film is a perfect film for Antoine Fuqua to direct. Robbie Reyes is a Los Angeles resident who works as a car mechanic trying to make a better life for his disabled younger brother. Just imagine a Ghost Rider film in the same vein as Training Day. Robbie working in the car shop in the day,  picking up his brother from school, and then at night being the flaming skull vigilante protecting Los Angeles from worse threats than him.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. already gave us some of his background story and how the mantle of Ghost Rider was passed down to him. I think a film would be nice to give a bit more in depth detail on his background and the passing of the mantle. Though it would be a short lived role, it would be pretty cool to actually see Johnny Blaze for a brief second in the MCU. Maybe Norman Reedus is the right contender to be the man who passes the torch to Gabriel Luna. AOS definitely proved that Robbie Reyes is the Ghost Rider we need right now in this world; however, I’d love if this R-rated film actually leads up to the events of when he first meets Daisy Johnson (Chloe Bennett) on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Aside from Blade, there is no other character that I’m passionate about getting an R-rated film from Marvel Studios other than Robbie Reyes/Ghost Rider. Gabriel Luna does a wonderful job at playing a multi-layered character who’s trying to protect his brother, make a living, and also take out some scum. He is compelling, charming, sensitive, and a badass all in one as Robbie Reyes.

How do you connect Robbie Reyes to the film side? 

Simple. And here comes a spoiler warning!!  SPOILER Robbie Reyes can travel through different dimensions and space! which would be the perfect way to connect him to the worlds of Guardians of The Galaxy, Doctor Strange, and even Ant-Man because of the quantum realm. His ability to do this was introduced on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. this past season, and hopefully will get to be explored more while he’s a part of the MCU. Since Robbie already met Agent Coulson, who started on the film side of the MCU, that would obviously be another reason for him to crossover. Maybe Nick Fury gets involved?

Even if Robbie Reyes doesn’t get a solo film, he definitely should at least have a spin-off series — whether it be on Netflix, another streaming site, or on ABC’s network. I haven’t had enough of Robbie Reyes and Gabriel Luna in the MCU, and oh boy, do I want more. Do you?

Your move, Marvel.