The Disney+ series Moon Knight may not be out yet, but it already proves the need for another supernatural antihero to have a presence in the MCU: Ghost Rider. Moon Knight and the hype around it suggest a continued appetite for more heroes of a darker persuasion in the MCU. In a similar vein to Moon Knight, Ghost Rider could introduce magic into the MCU that even Doctor Strange has so far left alone. Ghost Rider's presence would basically guarantee the eventual rise of Mephisto in the MCU, which fans have been clamoring for since Thanos bit the dust.

While there are multiple Ghost Riders, the two most popular are Johnny Blaze and Daniel Ketch. The former debuted in Marvel Spotlight #5 (1972) in a story that revolved around the young stunt man making a deal with Mephisto to cure his adoptive father's terminal cancer. Both Ghost Rider films with Nicolas Cage portraying the Spirit of Vengeance revolved around this version. The second iteration of the character debuted in Ghost Rider #1 (1990). Another Ghost Rider, Robbie Reyes, debuted in 2014 as a teenager bound to the spirit of a satanist serial killer. In a bid to introduce Reyes as the MCU's Ghost Rider, the character appeared in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, albeit with an almost completely different origin. However, the show's relevance to canon is now uncertain.

Related: Did WandaVision Almost Include Moon Knight's MCU Debut?

The MCU is well known for its dominantly bright and optimistic image. Moon Knight is the first MCU property that's truly looking to spotlight a dark hero from the Marvel Universe, which opens the door to other tonally different projects. Ghost Rider is one of Marvel's darkest heroes in concept alone. In fact, characters like Moon Knight and Ghost Rider, as well as the inevitable Blade, are necessary to help fill out the world and prevent things from feeling too sterile.

ghost rider Challenge of the Ghost Riders

Moon Knight also that supports the possibility of Ghost Rider in the MCU is terms of his source of power. Moon Knight's powers have a supernatural origin, steeped in Egyptian mythology as the instrument of a moon god's vengeance. Ghost Rider is also the Spirit of Vengeance, which makes him supernatural as well. The MCU could use Ghost Rider to add yet another magic-based hero to the mix. However, Ghost Rider's story also dips into a side of magic that Doctor Strange has so far left mostly untouched and even Moon Knight may not tread near: demons. While the dangers of magic come up often in Doctor Strange, it usually considers the chaotic and uncontrollable aspects, and not the potentially malignant ones like demons.

Lastly, Ghost Rider's presence in the MCU proper, particularly the Johnny Blaze version, would quench the thirst for Mephisto to appear in the MCU. Fans have been speculating the presence of Mephisto in almost every Marvel property to come out since the end of the Infinity Saga. Even if a new Ghost Rider movie skips over the origin story completely, the presence of a Ghost Rider would essentially guarantee the existence of Mephisto in the MCU and could possibly satisfy a lot of those theories.

Moon Knight promises a dark, psychological take on the character which more recent runs of the comic have popularized. Yet, it's this relatively obscure Marvel Knight that paves the way for another that Marvel definitely needs to revisit. There's a clear need and a desire among fans for darker heroes on screen. Ghost Rider easily could bring a whole new level to the magic of the MCU. Perhaps if Moon Knight is a success, the Spirit of Vengeance won't be far behind.

Next: Don't Fall For Those Moon Knight Avengers Comments - It's A Trick!

Key Release Dates