Marvel’s ‘Ghost Rider’ Writer Says the MCU Is Ready for Full-Blown R-Rated Horror
Superhero movies have spent years refining the same blockbuster formula, but the idea of a true horror film inside the MCU keeps gaining momentum. With ‘Ghost Rider’ set to bring Marvel’s supernatural corner to the big screen, one of the character’s most celebrated comic writers has made his feelings about that future very clear.
Benjamin Percy knows this territory well. His 2022–2023 ‘Ghost Rider’ run brought Johnny Blaze back into focus, cast him as a sheriff fighting ’70s-style occult and supernatural threats along America’s backroads, and introduced Hellverine, a Wolverine bonded to a demon. Fans praised the run for drawing on cult horror, occult fiction, and Lovecraftian storytelling.
Now Percy is calling on Marvel to fully embrace horror on screen. When asked whether the MCU should make a horror film, he gave a short, confident answer. “We live in a golden age of horror. It’s time,” he told ComicBook.com.
He made it clear that he sees this as his kind of moment, describing himself as a lifelong horror fan who feels right at home in the genre. For ‘Ghost Rider’ in particular, he wants an R-rated horror take rather than another traditional cape-and-spandex superhero movie.
Percy went even further, hoping the film leans into body horror and delivers a truly hellish version of the Spirit of Vengeance. It’s a bold pitch, but it reflects the tone that made his comic run stand out.
Ghost Rider enters the MCU 🔥 Ryan Gosling will star in Marvel Studios’ Ghost Rider, directed by Shawn Levy. #SDCC https://t.co/MR2HJww2Wg
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) July 26, 2026
That conversation comes as the MCU’s version of the character is starting to take shape. Shawn Levy is directing a ‘Ghost Rider’ film starring Ryan Gosling, set for July 28, 2028, as Marvel’s third release that year after the ‘X-Men’ reboot and before ‘Black Panther 3’.
The project was announced at San Diego Comic-Con, where Kevin Feige credited Gosling with pitching the idea. It’s expected to be one of the first major releases of Phase 7, arriving after ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’.
The reboot will introduce Ghost Rider to the MCU and open up the franchise’s supernatural side. Whether Marvel follows Percy’s advice and goes for an R rating remains to be seen, since no rating details have been announced.
Ghost Rider’s earlier big-screen outings, including the 2007 film starring Nicolas Cage and its sequel ‘Spirit of Vengeance’, were both rated PG-13. Percy’s comments suggest the character could be much darker if given the chance.
The broader industry is also making his case. DC’s R-rated body horror film ‘Clayface’ recently opened at No. 1 at the domestic box office, a sign that audiences are open to comic book stories steeped in horror.
New trailer for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ In theaters December 18 https://t.co/1wsiTk1Nnv
— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) August 15, 2026
Percy is also exploring horror within Marvel’s comics. He writes ‘Midnight Fantastic Four’ for Marvel’s new Midnight horror line, which takes a Lovecraftian approach to the team. He has described the line as feeling closer to an A24 film than a classic monster comic.
The interview was timed to promote Percy’s new Audible series ‘Exoplanet’, a sci-fi thriller executive produced by Andy Weir. The voice cast includes Anthony Mackie, Ariana DeBose and John Leguizamo, and the story follows astronauts who crash on an alien world and must work together to escape.
New promo for ‘AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY’ featuring Anthony Mackie, Winston Duke and David Harbour. https://t.co/PTWbYc57q0
— Avengers Updates (@AvengersUpdated) October 17, 2026
Between audio drama, horror comics, and his hopes for the MCU, Percy clearly has plenty of ideas about where genre storytelling should go next. If Marvel wants advice on making Ghost Rider truly terrifying, it doesn’t have to look far.
Should Marvel make Ryan Gosling’s Ghost Rider a full-blown R-rated horror film?
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