‘Power Book II: Ghost’ Star Michael Rainey Jr. Addresses Fan Theories That Ghost Is Alive
It’s been almost two years since Power fans said goodbye to James “Ghost” St. Patrick. Still, some can’t seem to let him go. Theories that he survived the show continue. But Michael Rainey Jr. is adamant that Ghost is dead.
Michael Rainey Jr. shut down theories about Ghost’s survival in ‘Power’
Rainey starred in Power as Tariq St. Patrick, James’ son. He shot and killed his father (Omari Hardwick) in the final season. But some viewers believe Ghost faked his death and will eventually appear again, possibly in Tariq’s spinoff, Power Book II: Ghost.
BET reports that Rainey addressed the question of whether Ghost survived on Instagram Live in January.
“They asking me if Ghost will come back,” he reportedly said. “The [N-word] died. Like, I don’t understand, y’all [N-words] think this is some fake show where [N-words] comin’ back from the dead. This is Power. It’s not that s***. It’s not like when Kanan got set on fire and came back. He ain’t get set on fire, he [was shot].”
Ghost was such a fan-favorite character that it’s understandable why people are hoping for another outcome. But at this point, there’s more than enough information to confirm that Ghost is dead.
Still, there are ways Ghost could come back
Although Ghost’s death puts an end to that chapter of the story, there are other ways to bring him back. Hardwick previously shared an idea for Ghost to return as an apparition or in flashbacks.
“Hell, you name the guy Ghost and so there’s always, to me, a possibility of being just that,” he told the podcast Higher Learning With Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay. “He really lives in a ghost space at this point, so now that we know he’s not on Earth, there is a reality where you can have flashbacks or [something else].”
He said he could see Ghost returning “perhaps in a spinoff just in a space to give leverage to the show to go, OK, Ghost is speaking to Tariq, but we know he’s not actually there. OK, Ghost is in Tommy’s head, but is he really there? You know, just leaving that mystique. But I’d always be open. [‘Power’] changed my life.”
There was speculation that Ghost would appear in ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’
It was previously believed that a younger version of Ghost would appear in the prequel series Power Book III: Raising Kanan, which chronicles the rise of Kanan Stark before his death in Power. However, creator and showrunner Courtney Kemp noted that Ghost was a few years younger than Kanan and would still be a boy at this point on the show.
“I just hate being asked about Ghost and Tommy in the prequel,” she told TVLine. “Ghost and Tommy [Egan] are 10 years old at the start of this series. There is no conversation we need to have about them right now, because they are children in the fifth grade. And I know the whole Power universe is going to be like, ‘Where is Ghost and Tommy?’”
“But this is not a Ghost and Tommy origin story,” she continued. “That’s boring. Who cares? If you think about it, it’s not exciting. I rolled my eyes because it’s not a new story to tell. I will keep telling people they are 10 years old and their long division is shaky. They’ve got Trapper Keepers and protractors. They’re not in the game yet. They’re literally still playing games.”
However, 50 Cent, an executive producer on the show, indicated to The Daily Express that Ghost might appear down the line. We’ll see.
