Marvel Announces A Major Ghost Rider Connection In Agatha: Coven Of Chaos

The future of Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) in the MCU is murky at best, but that isn't the same for some of Scarlet Witch's other "WandaVision" cohorts. After fans discovered that it was Agatha all along, they became truly blessed with the news that Kathryn Hahn would be returning in her series, "Agatha: Coven of Chaos." As with everything Marvel, top brass are doing their best to keep the secrets of the anticipated show close to the vest. But in addition to a suspicious character played by Aubrey Plaza, Sasheer Zamata joins the cast in an integral role. In an interview with Mashable, Zamata spoke about her comedy special "The First Woman" — coincidentally also involving witches — and her induction into the MCU. The "SNL" alum plays Jennifer Kale, another witch with roots in the comics.

"I definitely did do as much [comic book] research as I could," Zamata noted. "But the way we formed this character is very different from what I think people expect." Die-hard fans may be aware that Jennifer Kale doesn't just wield the forces of darkness but also has ties to the world of "Ghost Rider." Descended from a line of Ghost Riders herself, the sorceress is related to modern variations of the biker from hell.

Jennifer Kale isn't just a supremely powerful witch in her own right but has a heritage stretching back hundreds of years. The sorceress' ancestor, Noble Kale, was the first to don the moniker of Ghost Rider. After the mother of his child is burned at the stake for accusations of witchcraft, Kale gets the powers of the Ghost Rider to defeat the witch hunters. The heavy toll of the Spirit of Vengeance continued down the line of Kales until Noami Kale, the mother of two Ghost Riders: Johnny Blaze and Dan Ketch. Understanding her lineage, Noami was desperate to end the curse of the Ghost Rider. Leaving Johnny, she takes Dan and his sister Barbara to be raised by an adoptive family. Even though she means to separate Dan from the curse, he eventually meets his fate and becomes like his ancestor. 

After a chance encounter with the villain Deathwatch, Dan's sister dies from an arrow to the chest. After carrying her body to a mysterious motorcycle, he anoints it in his sister's blood and is yet another Kale to become the Spirit of Vengeance. As all of them are descendants of Noble Kale, this makes Johnny, Dan, and Jennifer distant cousins. "Agatha: Coven of Chaos" seems to be set exclusively in the world of magic, so it may be unlikely that the Ghost Riders appear. But with this connection, there always remains the potential for the characters to come into the MCU in the future.