Ghost Rider's Body Talk

How Nic Cage Becomes Ghost Rider
Director Mark Steven Johnson explains the look and powers of the Ghost Rider.


Warning: Spoilers

Ghost Rider director Mark Steven Johnson explained for Now Playing magazine how actor Nic Cage's supernatural look comes together in the film.

"This time I actually have a hero who's supposed to be in leather, so I've got that going for me," laughs Johnson, referring to the criticism he got after characters in his Daredevil got all leathered up. "[Blaze] changes throughout the movie. I know some fans have seen shots and they're like, 'Why are the spikes all so small?' It's because he changes his look throughout. Obviously he doesn't know what's going to happen the first time [he becomes Ghost Rider]. He has no gloves on, so he's got skeleton hands. He's got black jeans, a black leather coat and motorcycle boots. The second time, when he breaks out of the jail – not to give too much away – his coat gets ripped and he basically upgrades."

As for the hellfire: "The idea is that hellfire affects metal in a certain way, so when [it] hits a motorcycle, it turns into a hell-cycle. When it hits a shotgun, it turns into a hellfire shotgun. And when it hits the studs in your coat, they pop into these spikes," explains the filmmaker. "It's really cool and it worked really well with the outfit. So he does have the three-inch spikes and the big chain and all that s***," he told the magazine.

The Penance Stare is going to take more work, he admits: "We're still working on [that]," Johnson says. "I don't want to do the little vignettes [type of thing] because we've seen that before – quick little cut pieces of people's sins. [The stare] is when Ghost Rider says 'Look into my eyes' [and he] can look at all the sins they've done to other people and make them relive those sins ten-fold. Ghost Rider doesn't kill anybody, but it's supposed to be a fate worse than death because you're trapped looking at all the s*** you've done to everyone else. So how to do that without it becoming a mini-movie is the challenge."

Cage's co-star Eva Mendes talks about her character witnessing the Ghost Rider transformation: "I do have one scene where I see him changing into Ghost Rider, and that freaks my character out, as it would freak anybody out – seeing somebody change into a flaming skull," says the actress.

But for all of his fire, Ghost Rider is no Human Torch ala Fantastic Four: "He throws hellfire in one scene, which is pretty cool. If there's any fire around him he can manipulate it," explains Johnson. "What I didn't want to do is get into the Human Torch – that's what's really hard about the Marvel characters. There's so many of them. Human Torch or Pyro – you've got to be careful about what makes you different from them."

Ghost Rider premieres next summer.

There you go from the mouth of MSJ.
 
It's been kind of explained to me where the extra bulk comes from.
Think about a ghost and how it's form show's it's shape visiably, well it works the same way with GR, but, his body is fire so you can't really SEE the definition unless he's wearing clothing, The body is there just not visible.
 
I prefer a formless flaming skeleton, as if the clothing he wears is keeping his flames in (why it pumps up, out and around his head). The idea from Ivan Valez, Jr. and Salvador Larocca that the flames form a body structure always bothered me.
 
I personally like the formed by flames look. I just can't picture Ghost Rider with all this clothes hangin' off his body. He wouldn't look as menacing in my opinion.
 
I liked the loose clothing aspect when drawn in the comic because I feel it showed that his power was not based on a muscular pseudo body but of a supernatural origin because he would still beat down his opponent nonetheless.

Or get beaten by one of his own ribs. I really enjoyed reading that.
 
I can certainly agree with what you're sayin' here. There is something special about havin' just a boney guy beat the crap outta you and never backin' down from a beating.

Either way works just fine for me, except I just wouldn't want the clothes hanging off him. I'd want a costume that fits him right, ya know? Sorta like the new Marvel Legends figure. He's skinny as hell and the costume fits him tightly.
 
This relates to both the comics and the movie.

Where does his suit come from when Johnny transforms into Ghost Rider? Does he have to have on the GR suit in order to be wearing it as GR?

How will this work in the movie?:confused:
 
I think the movie will be similar to the 1970s series that he transforms in what he wears, but the hellfire that eminates from his body will manipulate the outfit to look more fitting for a hellcycle riding flaming skull.
 
Okay, his head is a skull, his hands are boney, what about the rest of him?

His arms, legs, and body look normal. They are bulky and everything. It was like that in the comics.

How is he built? Does anyone know?:confused:
 
Think of him like the invisible man. He's a skeleton engulfed in hellfire, when he wears clothes they stand up like there's a body inside, you can imagine the hellfire sustaining them, or an invisible ectoplasmic forcefield human shaped, right? It seems also from the comics that it's the clothes who make "physical" this human outline. Deathwatch once ripped off his jacket, and broke/took out a rib, wich used then to beat GR. So without clothes he's a flaming skeleton, with clothes he's got also this "human shaped field thing".
 
Right,
like a hot air balloon. The heat from the fire fills the balloon. Thats the deal with GR, the "pressure" of the hellfire pushes out the cloths. That was actually explained in a "ghost writers" letter section of the 70's series.
 
FlameHead said:
Unless it's shot from a gun.

nah it's still a good thing then, unless the gun is no more then 4 inches from your face :oldrazz:
 
Sucks for BBQing, though.
 
All flesh on his body is pretty much replaced by hellfire. Like someone mentioned earlier, think of the invisible man with a floaming skeleton. If it really was just bones and flames then everytime he's touched, it should look like poking a pillow or something when in fact if he knees you in the face or punches you, it hurts like a sonofab**ch...Just pretend there's an invisible superhuman body there really.
 
I bought the recent ToyFare and it had the Ghost Rider figures in it. Caretaker's shirt was open and I saw the body. It looked like a normal human body only made of fire with bones sticking out.

That's pretty cool.:up:
 
Savage said:
All flesh on his body is pretty much replaced by hellfire. Like someone mentioned earlier, think of the invisible man with a floaming skeleton. If it really was just bones and flames then everytime he's touched, it should look like poking a pillow or something when in fact if he knees you in the face or punches you, it hurts like a sonofab**ch...Just pretend there's an invisible superhuman body there really.


Not to say that just bone wouldn't hurt a hell of a lot but, you're right. Hellfire is a force beyond normal flame. It's a powerful entity with many mystical capabilities.
 
funny thing is ive heard of some complaints about how "cheap" the effects looks becuase it looks like they cgi'd a skull over someones head...which is what they did and had to do if they were to stay faithfull to the comic.
these people are expecting a full flaming skeletal body w/ the clothes hanging off....yeah that would look impressive :whatever:
even my friend was complaining about the same thing...he was expecting GR to have baggy clothes...lol
 
I guess if people don't understand that it's not real fire, then they're probably expecting something that's not from the comic. Personally, I'd rather the humanoid physique much better than baggy clothes. To me, that would just look silly... unless his clothes were all shredded and tattered and hanging off his body.

Of course, there's a chance we'll see that on screen as well, depending on how badly our boy gets beaten.
 
Stupid thread, but think about it!

:ghost::ghost::ghost::ghost::ghost::ghost::ghost:

It's bugging me. If Johhny becomes a flaming skeleton while Ghost Rider, what's keeping his jacket and those tight leather pants all fleshed out? Is it the hellfire or is it just something we aren't meant to think about, lol.

Maybe this is what they mean by leave your brain at the door, or maybe one of you comic book experts know the answer!
 

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