Keanu Reeves reveals the Marvel role that was his childhood dream

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The John Wick star is a self-described comic book nerd

Keanu Reeves in John Wick 3
(Image credit: Lionsgate)

Keanu Reeves has no shortage of iconic characters under his belt, from John Wick to The Matrix's Neo. But one role he's never played is a Marvel superhero, despite being a self-described comic book nerd. 

When asked which comic book character his 10-year-old self would've liked to play on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Reeves gave the question some thought before responding: "I think he’d probably want to be Ghost Rider."

Ghost Rider, AKA Johnny Blaze, is a stunt motorcyclist who gives up his soul to the demon Mephisto in order to save his father's life. This means that at night and when he's around evil, his flesh is consumed by hellfire and his head becomes a flaming skull.

The character first appeared in Marvel comics in 1972. A live-action movie was made in 2007, starring Nicolas Cage as the title character, with a sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance following in 2012. Another incarnation of Ghost Rider, Robbie Reyes, who first appeared in the comics in 2014, was played by Gabriel Luna in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 4.

Reeves is also now the author of his own comic book series, Brzrkr, about an immortal warrior who fights his way through the ages. The series' second volume was published in September 2022.

Emily Garbutt
Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.