Agents of SHIELD season 4 is all about the Ghost Rider.
Agents of SHIELD is betting big on its Ghost Rider storyline and, so far, it seems to be paying off — both creatively and in the ratings. At last weekend's New York Comic Con, we had a chance to talk with Gabriel Luna (Robbie Reyes), Chloe Bennet (Daisy), and executive producer Jeph Loeb about what Ghost Rider and Luna have brought to the show. Here's what they had to say...
Luna said that, when he first got the call that he would be Ghost Rider, for one moment, "it felt possibly too great to bear," but, after getting a welcome call from Loeb, he started to feel manageable. Speaking about that call, Luna said:
It sent chills down my spine. I get goosebumps thinking about it right now. And, at that point, he said, ‘We believe in you. You earned this job. You earned it. Don’t ever doubt that you're the guy. And, after he said that, it’s just like: let’s do the work.
As for how he's affected Daisy, the main character we've seen him interact with so far (though Luna did say "I think it’s safe to say that there will be others in the mix."), Bennet said:
From the outside, it seems like they are similar. They have the same intentions. But I think what he’s doing unintentionally is holding a mirror to Daisy and kind of forcing her to figure out for herself what she is doing, why she is doing what she’s doing. Why is she rogue? Why isn't she at SHIELD? Why did she leave? Is it for vengeance or is it for something like penance? So that's kind of what he’s been helping her do throughout the first couple of episodes this season.
Luna was sure to emphasize that Ghost Rider's creation didn't just involve him. In addition to the writers, of course, he mentioned costume designer Ann Foley, stunt driver Eric Norris (yep, Chuck Norris' son), his stunt double Morgan Benoit, stunt coordinator Tanner Gill, and visual effects supervisor Mark Kolpack. Loeb echoed this sentiment, adding production manager Chris Cheramie to the mix, saying: To be able to do feature-level effects on a television budget is a testament to Chris Cheramie."
In general, Loeb said that ABC has been "hearing a lot of love" not only for Ghost Rider/Robbie Reyes, but for Luna, adding:
I think that's one of the things that's really important: it's not just about having a guy who’s got an incredible special effect on his head ... What Gabriel has been able to do with terrific material is to really infuse Robbie as a character that you care about, that you know about, and that you should be rather conflicted about. It's one of the things Marvel does really well, is we introduce people that live in the grey. This is a guy who's going out, clearly committing murder, and yet at the end of the first episode you realize he's got a younger brother who’s in a wheelchair and he cares for him. He’s an orphan himself. We try to build a story that tugs you in different directions, which I really shouldn't like this guy, but I am really involved with this guy. And that, to me, is a large testament both to the actor and the writing.
"All of us together are the Ghost Rider, and that’s why it ends up so good," said Luna, adding that next week's episode — "Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire"— is "gonna be crazy." Bring it on, Agents of SHIELD.
Check out our Agents of SHIELD news hub to see the promo for next week's episode, read the synopsis, and find out what else to expect from season four.