Actor Gabriel Luna doesn’t believe he’s returning as Ghost Rider anytime soon. The Marvel Cinematic Universe actor has been waiting years to play the character again, and at this point doesn’t think it’s going to happen.

Luna originally played the Robbie Reyes version of Marvel Comics character Ghost Rider on ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The show created an entire arc centered around Ghost Rider, dedicating a third of its fourth season to the character. He quickly became a fan-favorite, with Luna’s depiction of the character as a complex anti-hero contrasted well with the superhero show’s usual heroes and villains.

While Luna thoroughly enjoyed playing Ghost Rider, he is doubtful that he will ever return to the character. According to Comicbook.com, Luna said that he’s been ready to play Robbie Reyes again, but because it’s been so long he isn’t holding his breath. “I was gearing up for Ghost Rider for some time, a few years now, just on hold, waiting… So I guess there’s not much hope holding out.” He is very happy with the time that he had with the character, being proud that there is a generation of people who see Robbie Reyes as the definitive Ghost Rider.

Luna was originally supposed to return as Ghost Rider in a standalone television show. Hulu ordered the series in May 2019, set to join other Marvel television shows on the streaming platform. Hulu ended up cancelling the Ghost Rider series in September of the same year. Ghost Rider was actually in pre-production when it was cancelled. Luna had been under contract with Marvel for three years and, despite some behind-the-scenes changes, was confident the series would be moving forward. This makes sense, as scripts were being finalized and sets were being built.

Ghost Rider is on a long list of Marvel television shows to be cancelled in the last two years. Freeform’s Cloak & Dagger was cancelled after two seasons in October 2019. All of the Marvel/Netflix shows were unceremoniously cancelled, leaving fans with several unanswered questions. Runaways, a show that was supposed to run alongside Ghost Rider on Hulu, aired its last season in December 2019. Even Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Marvel’s longest running television show, is airing its final season later this year. These sudden cancellations are likely due to Marvel’s desire for a more streamlined approach to telling stories within the MCU. All of the previous Marvel TV shows were produced by a branch of the larger Marvel company separate from Marvel Studios. With studio head Kevin Feige taking on a larger role at Marvel, the television shows overseen by former TV head Jeph Loeb are being cleared out. Avengers: Endgame also marked the end of an era for the MCU, and it seems Feige wishes to start this new era with a more organized approach to storytelling within the MCU, which means more control over the stories that are being told within the comic book universe.

More: How The Punisher Became The Cosmic Ghost Rider

Source: Comicbook.com