Exclusive: Norman Reedus In Talks To Join Marvel Universe
We've exclusively learned that Norman Reedus is in talks with Marvel.
This article is more than 2 years old
Norman Reedus has played Daryl Dixon on The Walking Dead since the show’s first season in 2010. Now, the series is coming to an end. While he has plans to play the character again in spinoff projects, his schedule is about to open up in a big way, and he seems ready to take on new projects. Last week, Deadline reported that he’s in early talks for a sequel to his classic Boondock Saints, but that isn’t the only project he’s currently considering. One of our trusted and proven inside sources has shared that Norman Reedus is in talks with Marvel.
At this time, our source couldn’t confirm what role Norman Reedus is talking to Marvel about. However, in the summer of 2021, the actor gave interviews discussing his long-held desire to play Ghost Rider. He plainly told ComicBook.com, “I want to play Ghost Rider,” and added, “I don’t know, call somebody, make that happen. I want to do it.”
These statements did catch a lot of attention online. Fanart was made showing off what the actor could look like with a leather jacket and half of his face on fire. The grittier elements of Ghost Rider aren’t something Norman Reedus is likely to shy away from and something that fans of the Marvel Comics character would likely be happy to see him take on. With so many years as Daryl Dixon on The Walking Dead, there are plenty of images of the actor riding a motorcycle, making it easy to picture him in that particular role.
As mentioned above, while Norman Reedus has been vocal about his desire to play Ghost Rider, we weren’t able to confirm if that’s the character Marvel is talking to him about. It’s entirely possible that Marvel saw the actor has an interest in joining the franchise but has a different role in mind. Interestingly, if he works out an agreement with Marvel Studios, this won’t be the first time he’s been in a Marvel project.
Before Iron Man began the modern Marvel Cinematic Universe, there were movies that adapted Marvel characters, like Wesley Snipes’ Blade. Norman Reedus played a side character in Blade II as Scud, an armory expert. While that was a small role in one film, there is currently a Blade reboot in the works at Marvel. The project is expected to also carry that grittier type of tone that Norman Reedus is known for and embraced when he was in that original project with Wesley Snipes.
It wouldn’t be surprising to learn that Marvel couldn’t bring the actor on for Ghost Rider, but came up with other parts they could see Norman Reedus being a great fit for. Something like the Blade reboot would be an easy fit. A role alongside Jon Bernthal in a new Punisher project would also be great to see. Jon Bernthal played Shane in the early seasons of The Walking Dead, so having those stars together again in a new project would be a treat for fans. Hopefully, talks go well, and he’ll be playing an interesting new character for Marvel soon.
