Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance is a 2011 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics antihero Ghost Rider. It is a sequel to the 2007 film Ghost Rider and features Nicolas Cage reprising his role as Johnny Blaze / Ghost Rider with supporting roles portrayed by Ciarán Hinds, Violante Placido, Johnny Whitworth, Christopher Lambert, and Idris Elba. The film was directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, from a screenplay written by Scott M. Gimple, Seth Hoffman, and David S. Goyer. Released publicly for one night on December 11, 2011, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance had its wide commercial release on February 17, 2012, in 2D and 3D. Johnny Blaze is the Ghost Rider cursed to hunt demons, and he is approached by a secret religious sect to help protect a young boy named Danny, who is believed to be a target of the devil's minions.
The film experienced worse critical reception than the first film, with criticism being aimed towards the script, CGI, and performances. The film grossed $132.6 – 149.4 million, against its $57 million production budget.
Nicolas Cage stated that he was "done" with the Ghost Rider films and a planned sequel was canceled. The film rights to the character reverted to Marvel Studios in 2013, and the Robbie Reyes version of Ghost Rider appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) through the fourth season of the ABC television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., played by Gabriel Luna. A reboot film set in the MCU is scheduled for release in 2028, with Ryan Gosling in the title role.
