Wait, Did ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Just Introduce the Johnny Blaze Ghost Rider?

The moment Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. confirmed its intent to introduce the Robbie Reyes iteration of Ghost Rider, fans wondered what might become of an MCU Johnny Blaze. S.H.I.E.L.D. producers have explained their choice to eschew the more classic character, thought last night’s “Lockup” included a surprising easter egg that may preclude Blaze’s appearance.

Take this with a grain of salt for the moment, as the last thing Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. would want to distract from its shiny new Ghost Rider is a character that already burned through two prior films. That said, some eagle-eyed fans may have noticed a flashback easter egg from last night’s “Lockup,” which paid reference to some of Johnny Blaze’s old stomping grounds:

That’s a poster for the “Quentin Carnival” in the basement of an unnamed man’s home, visited in flashback by Joe and Lucy Bauer in search of the mysterious “Darkhold” book. During their search, Joe (Kerr Smith) describes the house as “the family home of the guy who killed the last person who had it.” As fans of the Johnny Blaze Ghost Rider will remember, the “Quentin Carnival” is exactly where the future Spirit of Vengeance spent his early days developing an appreciation for stuntwork.

Not enough? Let’s look at that poster from a different angle, which reveals not only pieces of a dismantled motorcycle strewn around the basement, but also a familiar leather jacket perched on a storage trunk, complete with chain hanging above.

It would stand to reason S.H.I.E.L.D. is implying that Johnny Blaze previously took ownership of, then buried the “Darkhold” book in his home, so as to keep it out of the wrong hands.

Granted, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. won’t officially reveal Robbie Reyes’ Ghost Rider origin until next week’s “The Good Samaritan,” so it remains to be seen if this version has any direct connection with prior avatars for the Spirit of Vengeance. Either way, it would seem like the series is hinting at Blaze’s Ghost Rider tenure having taken place at some point in the past.

We’ll see if Season 4 fleshes out the Ghost Rider line any further, but might Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. end up incorporating Johnny Blaze after all?

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