Ghost Rider’s New Movie Brings The MCU One Step Closer To Forming Two Classic Superhero Teams

The impending arrival of Ryan Gosling’s Ghost Rider in the Marvel Cinematic Universe puts it in a great position to bring multiple superhero teams to life on the big screen. The most obvious possibility when it comes to Ghost Rider joining forces with other characters for a live-action adventure is a Midnight Sons movie, but that only accounts for a fraction of the storytelling potential that comes with the Spirit of Vengeance.

Ghost Rider being part of a Midnight Sons adaptation does make a lot of sense. Originally formed in the early 1990s, the Midnight Sons were composed of multiple characters from the supernatural side of the Marvel Comics, such as Blade, Morbius the Living Vampire, and two versions of Ghost Rider. Moon Knight and Doctor Strange have also enjoyed membership in the Midnight Sons team.

Given their history and who’s currently relevant in the MCU, it’s not hard to imagine Marvel Studios eventually building its own take on the Midnight Sons – especially now that Ghost Rider is on track to join the fold in Shawn Levy’s 2028 film. But the Midnight Sons aren’t the only team Marvel may consider putting its Ghost Rider on; two classic teams aren’t far away from having their complete lineups represented in the MCU.

After Ghost Rider, Marvel Is Only Missing 1 Member Of The Original Legion Of Monsters

Introduced in 1976’s Marvel Premiere #28, the Legion of Monsters was essentially a precursor to the Midnight Sons, with the biggest difference between the two teams is that all of its members can be classified as monsters, whereas the Midnight Sons isn’t as tightly defined, giving it room to include the likes of Doctor Strange and Moon Knight.

There have been multiple incarnations of the Legion of Monsters, but its original lineup consisted of four characters: Werewolf by Night, Morbius the Living Vampire, Ghost Rider, and Man-Thing. As it stands, half of the group already exists in the MCU, as Disney+’s Halloween special, Werewolf by Night, introduced viewers to both Man-Thing and its werewolf hero.

With Ghost Rider slated to join the MCU, Marvel is only missing one member of the original Legion of Monsters in the MCU – Morbius. 2022’s Morbius had strong MCU connections, but was never fully integrated into its world, and its box office failure killed any chance it had of that version of Morbius being revived later. However, Marvel Studios could always offer a brand-new interpretation of its pseudo-vampire character in a later MCU movie or show.

The MCU Now Has 3 Members Of The Original Champions Team

Another classic superhero team Ghost Rider is affiliated with is the Champions. Decades before it was reinvented in the 2010s as a group of teenage superheroes, the Champions were recognized for their weirdness as a team, as they offered a surprising mix of Marvel characters: Hercules, Black Widow, Ghost Rider, Angel, and Iceman. A demigod, a Russian superspy, a demon, and two mutants was obviously a strange combination, but that was a big part of what made the Champions an interesting team to follow.

They all came together at a time when Iceman and Angel were no longer with the X-Men. The two, who were often seen as a package deal during this era in Marvel Comics, had chance encounters with Ghost Rider, Hercules, and Black Widow on the UCLA campus in California, which led to a battle with Ares and other Greek gods. In the aftermath of the conflict, the five characters, each of whom having no current membership in another group, all agreed to form their own superhero squad.

The original Black Widow died in Avengers: Endgame, but it has since gained a new one in the form of Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova. And Brett Goldstein brought Hercules into the MCU in one of Thor: Love and Thunder’s post-credits scenes. Ghost Rider’s upcoming introduction will add another key pillar of the Champions team, leaving only Angel and Iceman to be introduced.

How Marvel Could Build One Of Ghost Rider’s Classic Teams In The MCU’s Future

Although neither team is necessarily in the public consciousness, both would be worthy additions to the MCU, as the appeal they carried in the comic books could translate well to the big screen, despite the difference in medium and the time period. A truly bizarre assortment of established MCU characters of varying power levels and backgrounds could make the Champions such a “weird” team that would compel interest in their adventures and interactions with one another. In this sense, they could come across as excellent successors to the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Marvel is in the process of bringing the X-Men to Earth-616, so new versions of Iceman and Angel could very well be on the horizon. And even if that’s not the case, the pair’s place in the Champions lineup could always be replaced with one or two other X-Men characters to check the group’s important “mutant” box.

Similarly, Marvel’s Legion of Monsters could also replace its missing character if need be. With Man-Thing, Werewolf by Night, and Ghost Rider, the Marvel Cinematic Universe certainly has enough tools at its disposal already to build a mostly accurate take on its 1970s monster-themed squad. If Marvel is unwilling to introduce a new Morbius, he could easily be substituted with other comic monsters, such as N’Katu the Living Mummy, Sasquatch, or Gargoyle.

And in terms of the narrative, some of the setup needed to make these characters meet is already in place. Werewolf by Night depicted Jack Russell and Man-Thing as friends, which could put them on a shared path ahead of a possible Legions of Monsters team-up movie. Now all they need is Ghost Rider and at least one other monster to join the fold.

Release Date

July 28, 2028

Director

Shawn Levy

Writers

Jonathan Tropper