The Marvel Cinematic Universe is constantly growing, thanks to new content hitting theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. The latest movie to arrive on the big screen is Shawn Levy's Deadpool & Wolverine, which broke records at the box office. While Deadpool 3 had lots of cameos, the film originally wanted Nic Cage's Ghost Rider. What's more, there's even concept art of that return.
Fans who have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order recall a slew of pre-MCU blockbusters that arrived in theaters in the early aughts. That includes Cage's pair of Ghost Rider films, with some moviegoers still hoping he'll appear in upcoming Marvel movies. Some concept art from Deadpool 3 just arrived on Instagram, featuring both that character and Ben Affleck's Daredevil in the mix. Check it out below:
Well, my FOMO is through the roof. How epic would it have been to see two more pre-MCU superhero actors return to their roles to take on the Deadpool Corps.? In the end that final Deadpool & Wolverine battle was left for its title characters, while the Void's Resistance helped fight Cassandra Nova's forces. Moviegoers were thrilled to see the return of Wesley Snipes, Jennifer Garner, and Dafne Keen, as well as Channing Tatum's surprise role as Gambit.
So why didn't we end up with Nicolas Cage and Ben Affleck joining the cast of Deadpool 3 as Ghost Rider and Daredevil respectively? Ryan Reynolds spoke to EW about this, revealing how the budget was a major factor in paring down the film's list of cameos. In his words:
They were in early drafts. We had versions of that [sequence], but then as it shook out, you're sort of looking...We're trying to make the movie responsibly, as well. It's a big budget. It's the biggest budget of any of the Deadpool movies, but you want to give yourself as much constraint, which really I think facilitates asymmetrical thinking and creativity. If you have too much time or too much money, it usually murders that kind of creativity. So, yeah, you're shrinking things.
That makes sense. Part of what made the Deadpool franchise so revolutionary was that the first two movies were produced at a fraction of the cost of other superhero flicks. Deadpool & Wolverine was already a much more expensive beast, and Nicolas Cage and Ben Affleck likely would have both required big paychecks for their returns. Alas, it never came to be. During the same interview, Reynolds revealed how close we got to seeing Ghost Rider, offering:
But we did talk to Nic Cage. We tried to get him, but he was a no-go.... I would've loved him.
What a bummer. Of course, Deadpool & Wolverine had plenty of other thrilling cameos throughout its runtime. That includes Chris Evans playing a foul-mouthed Human Torch instead of Captain America. Still, it would have been fun to see Nicolas Cage get back into Ghost Rider for the blockbuster.
The next MCU movie hitting theaters is Captain America: Brave New World on February 14th. For now, check the 2025 movie release dates.
