Question: Was it the decision of the directors to have Ghost Rider killing people rather than using the Penance Stare like in the first movie. I found it odd that Johnny stated that the Ghost Rider would go after anybody such as people who tell little white lies.
Question: Is this supposed to be a sequel or a reboot? It takes place as if it's a sequel, kinda like the Hulk movies, but there are so many changes and differences it's like a reboot... like the Hulk movies. So sequel or reboot?
Chosen answer: This is a sequel. The only major difference from the first one is the Devil's human appearance.
Question: Why was the design of Ghost Rider and the Hellcycle changed? Plus, in the first movie he had gained control of his transformation. So when he is trying to leave after interrogating a lowlife thug, does he look like he is unable to keep the Ghost Rider in check?
Answer: They were changed to look "grittier". It was just a stylistic choice though, it's not really related to the plot in any way. As for the second part, at the end of the first movie, he had a much greater degree of control over the Rider, but not absolute control. Being in such a sinful place to interrogate the "thug" strained his ability to resist the transformation.
Answer: The entire film was designed to have a different tone and feel from the first film, to be accessible to viewers who never saw the original. Thus this film exists as something of a soft reboot. In interviews the directors also stated the origin story for Ghost Rider never made sense to them and they wished to change aspects of the character for this film. That includes removing the Penance Stare and making Ghost Rider have an uncontrollable desire to feed on the wrong people have committed, even things like little white lies could set him off.
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