Award-winning actor Johnny Depp reportedly wants to be part of a rumored Marvel film, Ghost Rider. The Pirates of the Caribbean star is circling the role of the villain Bounty Hunter.
Marvel originally confirmed plans to develop Ghost Rider as a TV show for Hulu. Rumors of a big-screen reboot with Keanu Reeves for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been in the grapevine. The studio, however, remains mum on the subject.
Reports, however, suggested that Johnny Depp is keen on joining the MCU via this film. The actor is a fan of the comic book series, so he’s familiar with the mythology.
Who is Bounty Hunter?
Bounty Hunter is a horse-riding man in black who shoots Hellfire with a shotgun and serves Mephisto/Satan in the Ghost Rider comics. He became Hell’s Bounty Hunter after getting killed in the old West.
As an immoral human, his soul ended up in Hell, where he received an offer to be its bounty hunter in exchange for his resurrection. To do this, he needs to bring 50 souls to Hell without fail, but then he encounters Ghost Rider/Johnny Blaze.
MCU originally planned to hire Depp as Dr. Stephen Strange, also known as the Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Strange, before Benedict Cumberbatch ended up playing the character. However, Depp was still tied to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise during the casting phase in 2014 and couldn’t make his filming schedule work.
Depp’s prolific career aside, his legal drama with ex-wife Amber Heard is currently a PR nightmare. It could likely damage his A-lister status and chances of starring in a big film, such as the ones on MCU.
“A lot of the damage has already been done because a lot of dirty laundry has been aired during the trial, against both parties, so his name is being put in a different light or being tarnished,” industry experts said on Variety. “There could be brands who might not want to engage him as their face because there is now a negative association.”
Plans for Johnny Blaze
Meanwhile, Gabriel Luna portrays the Ghost Rider in the MCU TV series, but his version of is Robbie Reyes, who inherited his superpowers from Johnny Blaze. However, a previous backstory, which played out in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D on ABC, suggested that Johnny Blaze is still alive.
This gives fans hope that Johnny Blaze will still figure in a future MCU Ghost Rider film. However, Marvel is still holding off any announcements about this project. The studio also shelved the Hulu TV series project’s development, as announced in September 2019.
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