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‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D’: Gabriel Luna’s Ghost Rider is more ‘accessible’ & ‘real…
Ghost Rider made his fiery entrance to the world of “Agents of SHIELD” Tuesday (Sept. 20) night, and we’re actually pretty impressed with his character and the visual effects used to create him.
In typical Ghost Rider fashion, Robbie Reyes (Gabriel Luna) spends his nights hunting down criminals and punishing evildoers. This version of the character, created by Filipe Smith, is probably not the Ghost Rider you’re expecting.
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We caught up with Gabriel Luna at the “Agents of SHIELD” premiere, where he explained how they adapted this new version of Ghost Rider for the small screen.
“I think we’ve done a really great job of accurately portraying Felipe’s vision,” says Luna. “He wanted to portray him as young, he didn’t want him to be, like, super quippy … He’s more accessible, and I think he’s more approachable, and he’s more realistic. And he’s also Mexican American, which is also realistic, in terms of the setting in which our story takes place and in the world at large.”
At this point, we can’t be sure whether Robbie will be an ally or a nemesis for the team, though we expect his extreme tactics won’t go over well with the gentler members of SHIELD like Fitz (Ian De Caestecker) and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge).
Chloe Bennet, however, hinted that though Ghost Rider and Daisy get off to a rocky start, they will come to understand each other eventually.
“Her [Daisy] and Ghost Rider, I think, you know, they don’t get along right away,” Bennet says. “And when two powered people don’t get along, you see it, for sure … But I think they eventually kind of, maybe understand each other more than the outside world does.”
We’re particularly interested in Daisy’s apparent willingness to die, and Ghost Rider’s refusal to indulge that desire.
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Has Daisy reached the point of actually being suicidal? Or is she just in so much pain after losing Lincoln (Luke Mitchell) on top of everything else, that she’s looking for an escape? Either way, we’re glad that whatever Ghost Rider saw when he looked at her, he decided she didn’t deserve to die like all the others he’s slaughtered.
As for what was in that box Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) and her team recovered, no one is quite sure what to make of it.
Showrunner Jed Whedon did tease that the upcoming theatrical release of “Doctor Strange” would play a part in this season of “Agents of SHIELD,” but we shouldn’t be on the lookout for answers about this ghostly, green figure plaguing May’s mind just yet.
“Agents of SHIELD” airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.