Tycoon Actor C463

Lucas simulated Danny Ketch through his «Mind Workshop».

The moment the transformation hit, a surge of overwhelming pain tore through him. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced in previous simulations. His bones felt as if they shattered and reformed; his flesh, torn apart by invisible flames. Yet, underneath the agony, he could feel it—power.

As Ghost Rider, rage and sorrow boiled together inside him, a storm of fury barely contained.

Although Lucas was supposed to be Danny, everything felt hazy—as if he was losing himself. His identity blurred, slipping away into the inferno, until only the Ghost Rider remained.

Without conscious control, Lucas—through Danny—mounted the motorcycle. The engine roared, echoing like a beast let loose.

The gang members who had shot Barbara were already fleeing, but it was hopeless.

Chains, laced with hellfire, lashed through the air, dragging the gangsters screaming into the night. The Ghost Rider showed no mercy.

And in the real world, Lucas’s body reacted.

His eyes snapped open, breathing ragged, his forehead dripping with sweat. His heart pounded as he scanned the room, disoriented, the bright daylight streaming through the window.

“Phew...” Lucas exhaled, wiping his forehead. “That was... something else.”

He sat up slowly, still feeling remnants of the simulated pain.

“I’ve never felt pain like that inside the Mind Workshop before...” he muttered.

But he understood now—this meant the simulation had fully captured Danny Ketch’s transformation. It wasn’t just physical—it was emotional. Pure rage, grief, and power tearing him apart.

Glancing down at his palm, Lucas flexed his fingers thoughtfully.

“Since I managed to simulate Danny Ketch… did I gain any of his abilities?” he wondered aloud.

Strangely, he didn’t feel any monstrous strength or fire coursing through his veins.

“Maybe it needs time,” he reasoned. “I’ll give it a few days...”

Standing up, Lucas made himself a strong coffee, took a quick shower, and left his room to meet up with the team.

---

The next few days passed quickly.

Casting for the Ghost Rider project was steadily progressing, with most of the minor roles filled.

The main roles, however, remained the top priority.

Fortunately, there was good news—Rami Malek had officially agreed to join the film. He arrived at the Disney studio, stepping into character as Blackout during his test shoot while cameras rolled.

Shortly after, Saoirse Ronan came in to audition for Barbara Ketch. She delivered a heartfelt performance that immediately impressed the team.

From there, history started writing itself.

Days turned into weeks. The production gathered momentum, the cast began to bond, and Lucas found himself easily getting along with Rami, Saoirse, and the rest of the team.

Meanwhile, filming locations were being scouted and prepared.

To any keen observer, it was obvious—Marvel was brewing something big.

Yet, Marvel kept a tight lid on everything, determined to keep the Ghost Rider reboot a secret for as long as possible.

---

Meanwhile, the Ghost Rider script had gone through several drafts, still undergoing tweaks and refinements. It wasn’t finalized yet—but the direction was getting clearer with each revision.

As for Lucas, he was busy monitoring the changes in his body.

He had hoped for something extraordinary, maybe a trace of the Ghost Rider’s supernatural power. But instead, the effects were far more grounded.

As usual with the Mind Workshop, his body subtly adapted to match the character—Danny Ketch’s build.

But the difference wasn’t dramatic. Lucas’s natural physique was already athletic; the adaptation only refined a few areas, sharpening his muscle tone, adjusting his balance, making him leaner and slightly more agile—perfect for a street-level rider like Danny.

Even though he didn’t feel any hellfire coursing through his veins, Lucas noticed something else.

He felt stronger. Subtle, but noticeable.

Tasks that once required real effort—lifting heavy boxes, moving heavy equipment—now felt surprisingly easy. He wasn’t a Superman by any means, but it was clear that his strength had risen to above average human levels, enough to make a noticeable difference.

‘Interesting...’ Lucas thought, flexing his hands. ‘It’s not Ghost Rider’s power... but it's still something.’

Even more impressive was the change in his motorcycle skills.

It was as if he had been riding bikes since childhood.

He still remembered the look on the motorbike coach’s face—the one Marvel had hired to train him a few days ago.

At first, the coach had been skeptical, giving Lucas basic riding instructions at the practice site. But when Lucas climbed onto the bike, everything clicked.

He accelerated smoothly, shifted gears perfectly, and navigated the curves of the practice road like a seasoned racer.

The coach’s eyes grew wider with every lap.

And then Lucas pushed the bike even faster, speeding down the straightaway without hesitation.

When he finally stopped and dismounted, the coach stormed over, his face pale and furious.
Without warning, he grabbed Lucas by the collar.

“You scared me to death, kid! Who told you to drive it like a maniac?!” the old coach barked, his voice cracking with panic.

Lucas had barely kept from laughing at the time—and even now, just remembering it, he chuckled to himself.

He poured himself a coffee, a satisfied grin tugging at his lips.

---

Time flew by, and before he knew it, two months had passed since Lucas had officially signed on as Ghost Rider. Now, filming was about to begin.

It was clear that Disney was speeding things up—the script had been finalized, the sets were being prepped, and schedules locked in.

One of the key filming locations was Brooklyn, New York, where Disney had rented a modest, aging apartment building. Initially, the production team had planned to evict all the tenants temporarily to avoid disruptions.

But Lucas stepped in, voicing his disagreement.
"We’re only filming here for a short time," he said during a team meeting. "There’s no need to drive them out."

He added with a small smile, "Maybe we can even use some of them as background actors. It’ll save money and feel more natural."

Someone raised a concern.
"They could secretly record scenes… or cause problems."

Before Lucas could respond, Rami Malek chimed in, casually leaning back in his chair. "Then we kick out anyone who actually causes trouble. Simple."

Lucas nodded, agreeing with the compromise. He understood better than most—finding a cheap apartment in New York was no easy feat, even if the production paid them to relocate.

He had been a tenant in places like this once, struggling paycheck to paycheck.
He hadn't forgotten.

---

A few days later, the team arrived at the rundown apartment building for the first day of shooting.

The tenants gathered around, watching with wide-eyed curiosity as the crew unloaded equipment.

Whispers spread quickly among them.

"Is that Rami Malek?"

"That's Saoirse Ronan!"

"Wait... is that Stan Lee?" one older man muttered, spotting the legendary figure walking beside a tall, strikingly handsome young man.

Then the realization hit.

"Oh my God, that's Lucas Knight!"

"Lucas!!!"

Excitement exploded, especially among the younger women. Some even squealed under their breath.

Lucas simply smiled warmly and waved, then gently pressed a finger to his lips, signaling for silence.

The tenants immediately understood.
They had already been warned by the production team: anyone who disrupted filming would be asked to leave.

No one wanted to lose their apartment—or miss their chance to glimpse Hollywood magic up close.

Quiet fell over the building, but the energy buzzed just beneath the surface.

The cameras were ready.

The set was alive.

And Ghost Rider’s story was about to come to life.

---

As filming officially kicked off, many of the tenants grew even more curious. They weren’t allowed close to the actual set, but they would sneak peeks from windows, stairwells, and anywhere they could find a vantage point.

They had no idea exactly what Marvel movie was being filmed, only that it involved a big production crew and famous faces. The energy around the building was electric, full of quiet excitement and whispered rumors.

One tenant in particular, a young woman named Aileen, couldn’t hold back her curiosity. She grabbed her laptop and anonymously posted on r/Movies on Reddit, hoping someone could help her figure it out.

"Yesterday, a big studio rented the apartment complex I live in. I've been watching them shoot scenes for a while now. There's this really handsome actor I've been following for a bit—he's on set.

They said it's a Marvel movie, but I'm not super familiar with Marvel. Honestly, it feels more serious than what I expected.

Is Marvel making another Joker? I’m really curious what this could be!"

She didn’t mention names directly, but in her excitement, she slipped up. And Reddit, being Reddit, pieced it together almost instantly.

The first reply shot up to the top:

“OP, Joker’s a DC character, not Marvel! And since you’re comparing it to Joker... I’m guessing the ‘hot actor’ you’re talking about is Lucas Knight? He blew up after Joker 2016 crushed the box office with its mental health themes. There’s no other Joker actor as handsome and popular as him right now. Are you saying Lucas Knight is filming a Marvel movie?! PLEASE clarify!”

Another comment quickly followed:

"Definitely Lucas Knight! Rumors have been swirling for a while that he signed with Marvel! You might have just confirmed it!"

And then another:

"Lucas Knight joining Marvel? Damn. I wonder how much Disney shelled out to bring him in. This could be huge."

Within just a few hours, Aileen’s post exploded—racking up hundreds of replies, thousands of likes, and getting shared across social media platforms.

But Aileen had no idea.

After finishing her shift at work, she returned to her buzzing apartment complex. The building was still lively, filled with murmurs of Marvel's secretive project.

She sat down at her desk, casually opened her laptop—and froze.

Her Reddit post had gone viral.

She clicked through the comments, her heart sinking as she realized: Everyone had figured out she was talking about Lucas Knight.

Panicked, Aileen immediately deleted the post.

But it was too late.

Screenshots had already made their way across the internet—and even the media had started sniffing around.