18 Years Later, The Cult-Classic Marvel Movie That Divided Audiences & Critics Lands on Free Streaming

When people think about the best Marvel movies made before the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the original X-Men trilogy – the one that launched Hugh Jackman’s career as Wolverine – and Wesley Snipes’ Blade trilogy are often the first that come to mind. Even though Blade: Trinity had its issues, the Blade films remain a strong series. However, there’s another Marvel movie from that era that doesn’t get enough credit, and it’s about to be available to stream for free. Just a year before Robert Downey Jr. became Iron Man and started the MCU, Nicolas Cage played the Spirit of Vengeance in Ghost Rider.

Ghost Rider, starring Nicolas Cage, will soon stream for free on Tubi. The underrated pre-MCU Marvel movie will stream for free on Tubi on December 1. Released in 2007, Ghost Rider is undeniably a Marvel cult-classic. Cage, who is a lifelong comic book fan, starred as Johnny Blaze, a stunt motorcyclist who makes a deal with the devil to save his father’s life. When the Devil cashes in on the bargain, Johnny gains spectral powers and is tasked with killing the Devil’s son, Blackheart. The official synopsis reads:

Long ago, Johnny Blaze, a motorcycle stunt rider, made a deal with the devil to save someone he cared about. Now, he spends his nights as the Ghost Rider, a spirit of vengeance battling evil. He’s uniquely caught between the human world and the demonic realm, and has been tasked by the devil himself, Mephistopheles, to stop Blackheart – a powerful demon who plans to take over hell and make things even worse.

The movie starred Nicolas Cage and featured a strong supporting cast, including Eva Mendes, Sam Elliott, Donal Logue, Peter Fonda, and Wes Bentley as Blackheart. Mark Steven Johnson directed and wrote the film, adapting the Marvel Comics character created by Gary Friedrich, Roy Thomas, and Mike Ploog. While Ghost Rider isn’t considered a top Marvel film by many, it’s recently gained a dedicated cult following. However, it wasn’t well-received when it first came out in theaters.

‘Ghost Rider’ Was the Most Divisive Marvel Movie At the Time


Sony Pictures Releasing

It might be surprising to hear this now, especially with recent Marvel movies receiving criticism (though many hope Avengers: Doomsday will be better), but Ghost Rider was actually very poorly received when it came out in 2007. It currently has a low 28% score on Rotten Tomatoes. While audiences have become slightly more forgiving over time, giving it a 48% user score, even recent reviews often give the film the lowest possible rating.

In Hollywood, financial success often outweighs critical opinion. Even though the first Ghost Rider movie received negative reviews, it earned over $228 million globally, which led to a quick decision to make a sequel, Ghost Rider 2: Spirit of Vengeance. While the original film was somewhat controversial, the sequel was widely considered a failure. Released in 2012, it was poorly received by both critics and audiences and ultimately earned only $132 million worldwide.

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2025-11-27 00:32