To date, Ghost Rider has been brought into live-action in two different ways. First and foremost is arguably the more well-known of the two, the Nicolas Cage-led “Ghost Rider” duology. In 2007’s “Ghost Rider” and 2012’s “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance,” Cage plays the Johnny Blaze version of the character, bringing plenty of his signature wackiness and absurdity to the role. While both films have their positives, they ultimately failed to impress critically and commercially in their day, also failing to stand as definitive takes on the source material.

Fast forward to 2016, Season 4 of the seemingly non-MCU canon ABC series “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” brings Ghost Rider back into the limelight. This time around, Marvel fans are given a television take on the Robbie Reyes (Gabriel Luna) version of Ghost Rider. He appears throughout the remainder of the season, being mentioned here and there in subsequent seasons. This is a rather strong adaptation of the character, but being a part of a larger narrative means that he doesn’t get much time to shine before his time at the forefront concludes.

All in all, Ghost Rider hasn’t had the best luck in live-action despite his enduring popularity and the talented actors who’ve tried out the role. One can only hope that if and when he finally rides his flaming motorcycle into the MCU, the character will receive the definitive adaptation he’s been missing.