Norman Reedus Teases Major Marvel Role In The Works
orman Reedus has reportedly gone on a tear of liking tweets in which fans ask Marvel Cinematic Universe boss Kevin Feige to cast him as his favorite Marvel character.
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Norman Reedus is not being subtle about the fact that he’s hoping to be cast as the next Ghost Rider in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, to the point where some are wondering if he’s already landed the role. According to Forbes, the actor who plays Daryl Dixon on AMC’s The Walking Dead is in the midst of his own social media campaign. Norman Reedus has reportedly gone on a tear of liking tweets in which fans ask Marvel Cinematic Universe boss Kevin Feige to cast him as none other than Johnny Blaze — better known as the carrier of the Spirit of Vengence, Ghost Rider.
The outlet reports that Norman Reedus has liked almost 30 tweets like this in just the past ten days, and he shows no signs of stopping. That said, Norman Reedus wouldn’t be the worst choice in the world for a live-action Johnny Blaze in Marvel’s connected TV and movie universe. He’s a real-life motorcycle enthusiast and his time on The Walking Dead has made him pretty synonymous with the darkness and grit that Ghost Rider stories tend to have. That’s not the only way that his time on the zombie drama may help him get a job in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He has more than a few connections thanks to the show.
Norman Reedus’ co-stars like Michonne actress Danai Gurira have played Okoye in Black Panther as well as two Avengers films. Aaron actor Ross Marquand has become the go-to voice for actors who won’t return to the franchise like Red Skull or Ulton. Daryl Dixon’s troubled brother Merle, played by Michael Rooker, also acted as Yondu in two Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Lauren Ridloff, who plays Daryl’s love interest Connie in Walking Dead, recently made her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Eternals. Finally, Jon Bernthal, who famously played Shane in the first two seasons of Walking Dead was Marvel’s Punisher — whom many are hoping makes a return soon.
Norman Reedus himself previously told ComicBook in July that he’d be interested in taking on the role more than any other superhero. For those unfamiliar, Johnny Blaze in the comic book is a motorcycle stunt rider who ends up making a deal with some demons in order to save the life of his mentor. He gains the ability to control Hellfire in order to punish the wicked. He made his first foray into popular culture by way of the 2007 and 2011 movies starring Nic Cage as Blaze. However, those movies are non-canonical to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Meanwhile, a version of the character who got his powers from Blaze, Robbie Reyes, appeared on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, which may or may not be Marvel canon thanks to the multiverse making everything murky.
Rumors from Inverse indicate that, if the Marvel Cinematic Universe is planning to make Norman Reedus its new Ghost Rider, it will do so in the upcoming Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. It makes sense to try to use the establishment of the multiverse to introduce new, high-concept characters to the world of Marvel. The question then will just be whether or not he gets his own franchise, TV show or makes multiple cameos going forward.
