No More Ghost Rider On Agents of SHIELD Due To Cost

The mid-season finale of Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD ended the Ghost Rider story and started the rather lame Ultron-wannabe LMD story, and now it’s learned why.

In an interview with TV Line, the show’s producers admit “financial considerations” were a factor into why they ended the Ghost Rider story, with executive producer Jeff Bell adding that it “doesn’t cost as much” as setting a guy’s head on fire via CGI.

Bell also tries to spin things for no more Ghost Rider by blaming the overall story as he says:  “[Ghost Rider is] a lot for 22 [episodes], especially with everything else that we like and care about on the show. It would feel like one flavor over a long period of time.”

The good news is that with Ghost Rider being such a fan-favorite (arguably more popular than the Agents of SHIELD series itself), more Ghost Rider may come further down the road.

“We’ve certainly left it open [to revisit],” Bell noted.

Producer Jed Whedon also added: “[Ghost Rider] is trapped in another place, which usually means that he’s not dead.”

Lorenzo Henrie, who plays Gabe, the brother to Ghost Rider on Agents of SHIELD, also recently teased more Ghost Rider is to come.

I know some fans (including myself) have been hoping for a Ghost Rider spinoff series. Judging from the statements made here, let’s hope it’s not on ABC but on Netflix.

I’ll also add I wouldn’t be surprised if the LMD storyline puts the final nail in the coffin for Agents of SHIELD and the series gets cancelled. I would much rather have Ghost Rider, anyway.