Nicolas Cage as Johnny Blaze / Ghost Rider in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

What new things were you able to add to Ghost Rider this time?

An interesting story is that, when I was trying to think with [directors] Brian (Taylor) and Mark (Neveldine) about how the Ghost Rider would move, because they both really wanted me to play Ghost Rider in this, I was thinking about trying to find something really weird, which would be like levitating in circles. We called it “the compass” together, to mess with how he would attack his enemies. And then, I looked up in the dictionary, and the word “weird” literally means “to turn around,” so I thought that was an interesting thing. But, it was like trying to design a body language from another dimension. We worked in a room together and looked at different animals, like cobras and insects, and tried to find ways of moving that would hopefully scare you and entertain you.

So, it’s scarier this time?

Oh, yeah. When I did the first Ghost Rider, I wanted it to be like a Grimm’s fairy tale — scary, but still something that children could enjoy, like that first trip to the principal’s office where you made a mistake and you’re in trouble, but don’t give up. You can still rise above and do something good with the experience. This one, with Mark and Brian, will go into the wonderful bliss of the nightmare imagination. I think it will be very entertaining. I haven’t seen anything yet, but they’re excited.

What opportunity did this give you to re-imagine the story and character?

This is Spirit of Vengeance. It’s not a sequel. In this day and age, where you have a lot of comic book movies made every day, and most of them are really good boys, it’s important to have a couple of bad boys out there, too.

Were there any stunts that really stood out for you, that really pushed your own personal limits?

All the wirework was very stimulating but also very nauseating, literally. I was going around in circles, upside down, and I was really trying not to throw up because it kept spinning and spinning. It’s one of my favourite things that we all came up with together, so I’m glad it’s there. It was well worth it.

Did you have any pressure to make this film lighter?

There’s a lot of humour to be found in sarcasm and darkness. You talk to any paramedic, they survive by developing a pretty off-kilter sense of humour. I think Blaze (Cage’s character in Ghost Rider), with any luck, has that because he’s really dealing with the fact that his head goes on fire, for years now. In the first movie, he kept it at bay. He was more like an innocent goofball. In this movie, there’s been a little fiery tapdance on his head, for several years. I think it should change his personality quite a bit.

You played a character who had escaped from hell in Drive Angry. Are there any similarities or differences between that and this version of Ghost Rider?

They’re totally different. In Drive Angry, I was playing a living dead man. This is a living man who turns into a demon, so it’s a totally different kind of energy. A living dead man has to be a little bit more dead, whereas a living man who turns into a ghost can still be very alive when he’s living.

How scary is it to be at Comic-Con among all the geeks and get their approval?

I’m not scared at all. I feel like we all did our work and we all worked really hard, and now it’s in the hands of the gods. I know that I like coming here, and I always love the exchange with the folks that enjoy comic books because I’m one of them. So, something always interesting happens, and I look forward to it.

What’s it like to be in this moment in time, when all these characters you loved as a kid are being loved by the masses?

I actually had a vision of it, when I was nine, that this was going to happen. It took a while because we didn’t have the technology to make them come to life so magnificently, as we do today. It was always so goofy, the stupid costumes of Spider-Man in the old movies in the ’60s and ’70s, and Captain America. But now, it’s become all the rage because there’s something in it for everybody. It’s perfect entertainment. It’s exciting for me. I love seeing all the movies happen.

What comics do you read now?

I was into Planet Hulk. I thought it was pretty inspired stuff. I went back in time and looked at Batman vs Predator. I just had to see who won that battle. There’s a lot of fun stuff. It’s always a good experience to go shopping in a local comic book shop.

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

I’m just boring. I love to go for walks and read books at home and stare out of my window. How’s that for excitement?

Which is your favourite Nicolas Cage film?
Tell t2@abp.in
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance releases in Calcutta today