"Agents of SHIELD" is set to return for a fourth season, but this time with Daisy (Chloe Bennet) on the run as a fugitive and Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) no longer the director of SHIELD. Adding even more spice to season 4 is the potential appearance of Johnny Blaze aka Ghost Rider.
The official "Agents of SHIELD" Twitter has posted a recent photo with a tagline that reads "Get fired up!" and the image showcases a train that bears the show's logo and a chain weapon on fire. While a flaming chain has been seen on the show before, this marketing tactic is speculated by fans to be a teaser for Ghost Rider.
According to a report from IGN, the movie and TV rights to the "Ghost Rider" franchise has returned to Marvel given how the two previous films by Columbia Pictures and Crystal Sky Pictures, starring Nicolas Cage, have both failed with critics and the box office. Both films are widely considered as some of the worst comic book movies ever made.
With the rights back with Marvel Studios and Marvel TV, it is possible that "Agents of SHIELD" will be introducing Ghost Rider to the show. However, IGN points out that there is a chance that the studios are instead teasing J.T. James aka Hellfire, who also wields a flaming chain as a weapon.
Hellfire is notable for being the descendant of the Phantom Rider. The comic books have not established that the Phantom Rider and the Ghost Riders are connected somehow, although it was previously implied that the Phantom Rider may have been an early Ghost Rider. The two have shared adventures before via time-travel plot arcs.
Hellfire has also been a member of the Secret Warriors and did have a romantic relationship with Daisy Johnson. It is this aspect that makes him the more likely candidate to appear in season 4.
"Agents of SHIELD" season 4 premieres this fall.
