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[8] and features Nicolas Cage reprising his role as Johnny Blaze / Ghost Rider[9] with supporting roles portrayed by Ciarn 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.
Nicolas Cage stated that he was "done" with the Ghost Rider films and a planned sequel was cancelled. The film rights to the character reverted to Marvel Studios shortly thereafter,[11] and the Robbie Reyes version of Ghost Rider appeared in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
In rural Romania, Moreau, an alcoholic monk, warns a nearby monastery about Roarke's forces seeking to kidnap a young boy named Danny. They aim to perform a ritual that transfers the aging Roarke's mind into Danny's body. A firefight ensues, and Danny escapes with his mother Nadya.
Moreau seeks out Johnny Blaze, who is in hiding to contain the Rider inside him. In exchange for the Rider's help finding Danny, Moreau offers to restore Johnny's soul and remove the Ghost Rider's curse.
Nadya and Danny are captured by Nadya's former boyfriend, Ray Carrigan. He is about to execute Nadya when the Ghost Rider appears, killing several of Carrigan's men. Nadya distracts the Ghost Rider, who is shot with grenades. Nadya escapes but Danny is captured. Carrigan informs Roarke (who is actually Mephisto in disguise) about the Rider's interference and Roarke places a spell on Danny to stop the Rider from tracking him. Meanwhile, Blaze awakens in a hospital and leaves, following Nadya and convincing her to accept his help. Nadya reveals that Danny is Roarke's son.
That night, after interrogating Carrigan's contact, Johnny takes off to find Carrigan. The Rider emerges and takes on Carrigan's men, using an empowered mining machine to destroy their hideout and mortally wound Carrigan. The Rider turns on Nadya and attempts to use the Penance Stare on her, but Danny is able to stop him. Roarke finds Carrigan nearly dead and revives him, granting him the ability to decay anything he touches.
Johnny and Nadya bring Danny to the monastery, where Moreau explains that the Ghost Rider is an angel named Zarathos who was tortured and driven insane in Hell. Moreau tells Johnny that he can exorcise the spirit if Johnny tells a secret only he knows. Johnny confesses that his deal with Roarke was selfish: His father had accepted his cancer and was ready to die, but Johnny could not accept it. Moreau exorcises the spirit, and Johnny becomes human again. The head monk Methodius tries to kill Danny, but Carrigan kills the monks and recaptures Danny.
The ritual to transfer Roarke into Danny's body begins while Johnny, Nadya, and Moreau infiltrate the ceremony. Carrigan kills Moreau while Danny returns the Ghost Rider to Johnny. Danny grants the Rider the ability to stay in Rider form even in broad daylight; the Rider then pursues Roarke. The Rider kills Carrigan and flips the car that Roarke and Danny are in before using his chain to hurl Roarke back to Hell. With Roarke defeated, Zarathos regains his sanity and is restored to his previous incarnation as the Spirit of Justice. Channeling the blue flame of Zarathos, Johnny revives Danny. As Johnny is seen riding away in Rider form, the flames on his bike and body are now blue.
Additional cast include Anthony Head as Benedict, a senior monk at the castle where Nadya and Danny are hiding at the start of the film; Jace