The Matrix and John Wick star Keanu Reeves might soon add another iconic role in his filmography. Reports revealed that he is in the advanced stages of negotiations with Marvel to star as Ghost Rider/Johnny Blaze in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
According to We Got This Covered, Keanu Reeves wants a more prominent role in the Marvel fold if he does agree to play Ghost Rider. The actor is reportedly negotiating a solo franchise for the superhero character and a part in the Midnight Sons spinoff that will introduce him in the MCU.
Marvel boss Kevin Feige said in previous interviews that they’ve been asking Reeves to join their franchise for years. Marvel will likely give in to what the actor wants if they’ve been persistently inviting Reeves to board their projects.
Ghost Rider in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel comic series depicts Ghost Rider/Johnny Blaze as a stunt motorcyclist who bonded with a demon after he gave his soul to Satan to save his father. In 2007, Columbia Pictures released a movie with the same title with Nicolas Cage playing the titular character.
In 2016, Marvel announced that the MCU will bring the Ghost Rider character via the TV series Agents of the S.H.I.E.L.D. season 4. Gabriel Luna won the role and will also subsequently star in the spinoff series for Hulu.
Luna said in an interview that Marvel is also planning a movie version of Ghost Rider. The actor expressed hope that The Walking Dead‘s Norman Reedus would portray the big-screen version.
In 2019, rumors surfaced that the Marvel is planning a Midnight Sons spinoff. This Marvel comic series is about a team of superheroes with supernatural qualities. They include Ghost Rider, Doctor Strange, Blade, Moon Knight and Hannibal King.
Reeves is busy with The Matrix 4
Meanwhile, Keanu Reeves is reportedly back on the set of The Matrix 4 in Berlin months following the coronavirus lockdown. According to Cinema Blend, locals spotted the actor sight-seeing with his co-stars Carrie-Ann Moss and Neil Patrick Harris, as well as his girlfriend Alexandra Grant.
The Matrix 4 has an April 2021 theater date and it’s unclear how far along they are with the filming. Expectedly, the movie will take plenty of time during post-production since it’s set to have a lot of CGI effects.
Keanu Reeves is also set to star in another John Wick iteration. The fourth movie is still tentatively set for a 2022 release. The actor’s filming schedule will likely get busy after 2022 if he commits to the MCU.
Image used courtesy of Governo do Estado de São Paulo / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)