Fans of Nicolas Cage’s Ghost Rider films should consider his 2011 B-movie Drive Angry as the unofficial third entry. Despite being a major comics fan, it took Cage many years to front his own comic book movie.

He was set to play the title role in Tim Burton’s unmade Superman Lives, and Cage later passed on Constantine and playing Green Goblin in Spider-Man. He finally scratched that superhero itch by playing the damned stuntman Johnny Blaze in both Ghost Rider and its 2011 sequel, Spirit of Vengeance.

While Cage is a lot of fun in both, the movies themselves received quite mixed reviews. The 2007 original was widely panned, and while the Neveldine/Taylor-directed Spirit of Vengeance was a step in the right direction, it had plenty of flaws of its own.

While the second entry was a modest hit, Cage quickly ruled out a return for the unmade Ghost Rider 3. The property soon reverted to Marvel, and while the Robbie Reyes version of Ghost Rider appeared on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the hotheaded hero has yet to return to the big screen.

Drive Angry Feels Like A Spiritual Sequel To Nic Cage’s Ghost Rider Movies

Ghost Rider is an inherently darker character than most Marvel superheroes, and one that fits Cage’s sensibilities as a performer. However, both instalments were saddled with PG-13 ratings that sanded the rough edges off the concept to appeal to younger viewers. Spirit of Vengeance, in particular, felt restrained by its more family-friendly rating.

In between Cage’s Ghost Rider duology came Drive Angry, a violent 3D homage to grindhouse cinema. This cast Cage as a mysterious driver pursuing a Satanic cult, with the big twist being that his character, Milton, has literally escaped from Hell to save his kidnapped grandchild.

So, it’s another story where Nicolas Cage plays a man who escaped from Hell and fights against both human and demonic foes. In contrast to Ghost Rider though, Drive Angry’s R-rating allows it to go hog wild in terms of violence and salty language.

There are numerous car chases and shootouts, including Cage’s Milton having sex while having a gunfight. It’s all intentionally over the top and silly, but it’s hard not to have a great time with it. Cage also plays the material surprisingly straight – even when he’s seen drinking beer from a human skull.

Drive Angry Is The R-Rated B-Movie The Ghost Rider Series Should Have Been

Cage’s Ghost Rider arrived at an odd time for comic book blockbusters. The original came the year before Iron Man and The Dark Knight, so it feels more in line with the glossy likes of The Fantastic Four duology or Daredevil. It really should have been a grittier, more horror-focused ride.

Sony had the perfect chance to correct this error with Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. They cut the budget in half and handed the keys to Neveldine/Taylor, a duo best known for hyperactive, bloody fare like the Crank movies or Gamer.

Instead, the 2011 sequel feels a compromise between PG-13 and an R rating, but it satisfies neither audience. Drive Angry may have its own faults, but after being a box office disappointment that critics largely dismissed, it has aged quite nicely.

It’s got a strong cast (including a scenery-chewing William Fichtner as a demonic accountant), excellent setpieces and a nice blend of action and horror. Short of giving Milton a flaming skull, it’s a Ghost Rider sequel in all but name.

The ideal Ghost Rider adaptation would merge Drive Angry and Spirit of Vengeance together, but sadly, that didn’t happen. Only a few years later, Deadpool proved that lower-budget, R-rated superhero projects could work, which would have been a great time to give Cage a third and final Ghost Rider.

Ghost Rider Might Finally Be Returning To The Big Screen

While Cage has been on a roll of great movies in recent years (Pig, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, etc), he appears to have moved on from Ghost Rider. The character himself has been absent from the big screen for 15 years, which is somewhat understandable.

Spirit of Vengeance turned a modest profit, but it was no gold mine. It didn’t receive great reviews either, so it was best to give the series a break. There are reports Ghost Rider will be breaking his movie sabbatical soon with an appearance in Avengers: Doomsday.

How and why the character will be appearing – or who will play him – haven’t been revealed, but given how stacked that cast is, a Ghost Rider cameo wouldn’t be a shocker. It would actually be cool to see an older Cage take on the Blaze role one last time, though the film would likely take the opportunity to recast.

Names like Keanu Reeves or Norman Reedus have been thrown into the ring as possible replacements, but that’s largely fancasting speculation. Only time (or a possible announcement trailer) will tell if the character actually pops up in Avengers: Doomsday.

Ghost Rider has yet to front a truly awesome solo film, and given Marvel’s general aversion to R-ratings, he might never get one. Still, for fans who’d like to see what an unfiltered Nic Cage Ghost Rider movie may have looked like, check out Drive Angry.