Season 4 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was, without a doubt, the best season of the television show thus far. Originally struggling with living up to its big brother (the MCU), the show eventually said "screw it" and began blazing its own trail. In this season alone, we've had evil robots, alternate realities, evil Russian robots, dark magic and, of course, Ghost Rider. That last one may end up being everyone's favorite, which has led to rumors that Ghost Rider could be getting his own spin-off show. Alas, we can't confirm that today, but a recent development at Marvel Comics has at least given us hope for the future.
The good folks over at Bleeding Cool are reporting that Marvel Comics has recently trademarked the phrase "Spirits of Vengeance" for comics, printed periodicals, artwork, and downloadable electronic publications. This would seem to indicate that Marvel is gearing up for a new Ghost Rider comic book series, quite possibly starring multiple Ghost Riders if the plural title is to be believed. Marvel currently does not have a comic book featuring the skull-headed vigilante, so there's certainly space available for him. Plus, with the character receiving an extra push in mainstream popularity thanks to his stint on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., now is the time for a new Ghost Rider book.
But what does this have to do with a television show? There have been unconfirmed rumors that a Ghost Rider spin-off show has been in the works thanks to his positive reception on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Our hope is that the upcoming comic books could signal a renewed interest in the character which could lead to a spin-off. It's a bit of a stretch, but it's not so far-fetched. Compared to the CW, and, to a lesser extent, Fox (which is preparing for X-Men series Gifted) ABC is lacking in the superhero department -- despite having access to the biggest film franchise today. It wouldn't kill the network to have one more comic book show in its lineup, and Ghost Rider would fit the bill of what they need to stand out nicely.
Again, there's no confirmation this is happening, but ABC has sure left the door wide open for a Ghost Rider TV show. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. teased a much bigger backstory to Ghost Rider than what was seen, with Robbie Reyes receiving his evil-ish spirit from an entirely different Ghost Rider (who may or may not have been Johnny Blaze). Not only that, but Ghost Rider's story is left unfinished, as we don't know what went down while he was in a hell dimension, and he hadn't reunited with his brother Gabe by the season finale. There's plenty of meat still left on that skeleton.
A Ghost Rider show is an exciting, if expensive, prospect and we'll be sure to keep you updated with any new information as soon as it's available.
