Marvel’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is coming to Disney+, and with it comes a new show for fans to love and a new bunch of characters to explore. And this, much like shows like Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel before it, is bringing in brand new characters that even fans from the comics don’t know. And so it is also ushering in questions about these new characters and whether or not they are connected to others we know and love from the Marvel comics world.
In the new series, we get to meet a lot of new characters, and the actors who bring them to life took to the premiere in Los Angeles on August 15. One of the biggest questions, surprisingly so, was whether or not the series has a connection to Ghost Rider. Why? Because one of the new characters has the last name Blaze.
On the purple carpet, star Rhys Coiro was asked about whether or not his character, Donny Blaze, was connected to Johnny Blaze, the stuntman who was turned into the Spirit of Vengeance, Ghost Rider. So the question exists simply because Coiro’s character and the Ghost Rider share a last name. “He’s a very powerful and fantastic individual,” Rhys Coiro said to Deadline at the premiere. “And he’s amazing and wonderful in every way. And, you know, he just lives to amaze and entertain.”
When pressed further about him as a character and whether or not there was more to his story, director Kat Coiro simply said: “You know, the only person that can actually answer about his connection to Ghost Rider is Kevin Feige. So, we don’t know.”
So … what’s the deal then with Donny Blaze? Is he someone we already know from the comics or is this a new character that we have to wait and see about?
Is there a Donny Blaze in the comics?
No. That’s the short answer. But his last name does have us all raising an eyebrow because Johnny Blaze is famously the name of Ghost Rider, but other than that, we don’t know anything about Donny Blaze, and I suppose the other connection to Ghost Rider is that Johnny is a stuntman so he could, in theory, be in Los Angeles (even though he’s from Illinois). Other than that, there’s not a big connection between Jennifer Walters and Johnny Blaze.
The rumors began when fans spotted Donny Blaze’s name on a poster in one of the trailers for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and now everyone has questions about the famed motorcyclist with a rhyming name. It isn’t something that’s from the comics though, so who knows whether or not Donny Blaze will actually have a connection to Johnny.
At least, for now, we know that they are different characters, and that there is still an option to see the Ghost Rider at some point in the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Until then, I don’t think Donny Blaze is connected to Johnny, but also I’d happily be wrong to see Rhys Coiro hang out with whoever ends up playing Johnny in the MCU. (Maybe Ryan Gosling?)
(featured image: Marvel Entertainment)
