According to “Agents of SHIELD” visual effects supervisor Mark Kolpack, the performance of Ghost Rider in the series was difficult from the start. Initially, they were going to feature Johnny Blaze, a classic incarnation of the character, before Marvel decided that the series no longer had the rights to him. Instead, Gabriel Luna ended up playing a newer version of the character named Robbie Reyes.
Luna’s version of Reyes ended up being so well received that the producers of Marvel Television began conceiving a standalone spin-off shortly after the start of season 4 of “Agents of SHIELD.” In effect, this meant that Marvel activated a clause in Luna’s Contract stipulating that, for an additional fee, it would prioritize filming a standalone “Ghost Rider” show over any other potential project. “Every six months, they gave me my rate to keep them in the first position,” Luna explained.
However, the development of the series was slow and was ultimately further complicated by Disney’s acquisition of Fox. During that process, Marvel Television became part of Disney’s Marvel Studios, which ended up meaning the cancellation of all existing Marvel Television series, including “Ghost Rider.”
“It was really disappointing in the end. I remember that at that moment I tried to have some perspective and you can’t look back, ”Luna said. “You have to keep moving forward.”
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