Nicolas Cage Reacts to Ryan Gosling Taking Over as Ghost Rider in the MCU

Nicolas Cage is passing the flaming skull off to Ryan Gosling, and he seems pretty excited to see what the actor does with Marvel's supernatural antihero.

Nearly 20 years after Cage first brought Johnny Blaze to the big screen in 2007's Ghost Rider, Gosling is getting ready to take the character for a spin in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The upcoming Ghost Rider movie will be directed by Shawn Levy, and Cage has nothing but good things to say about his successor.

While attending the premiere of his new film, Madden, Cage was asked by The Hollywood Reporter how he felt about Gosling stepping into the role, and he said: “Ryan’s going to do his thing with it, and I’m looking forward to seeing it.”

The actor also revealed that he and Gosling have a friendly relationship and have already discussed the opportunity.

“Ryan knows how I feel about him as an actor; we’ve had nice conversations, and we stay in touch. I was happy for him and wished him best of luck on his adventures, and I look forward to seeing the movie,” the actor added.

It's great to see Cage supporting Gosling, especially considering how much personality he brought to Johnny Blaze. Cage first played the motorcycle stuntman who sells his soul and becomes a fiery spirit of vengeance in 2007's Ghost Rider.

He returned for the 2011 sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, which leaned even further into the character's supernatural madness.

Gosling has been interested in playing Ghost Rider for years, so this is a role he's genuinely wanted to tackle. Marvel finally made it official at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2026, announcing that Gosling would lead the MCU's new take on the character.

There's also a fun connection between the two actors. Gosling's longtime partner, Eva Mendes, starred alongside Cage in the original Ghost Rider movie. Now Gosling gets his own shot at riding the hellfire-powered motorcycle.

Johnny Blaze has been part of Marvel Comics since 1972, when he debuted in Marvel Spotlight, created by writers Gary Friedrich and Roy Thomas and artist Mike Ploog. The Ghost Rider name originally belonged to a different character who later became known as Phantom Rider, but Blaze went on to become the most recognizable version of Marvel's supernatural biker.

Now Gosling has the chance to introduce Johnny Blaze to a new generation of Marvel fans, and I think he’s a great fit for the character.

The big question is what kind of Ghost Rider movie Marvel, Gosling, and Levy have planned. There's plenty of potential to lean into the character's horror roots while delivering the supernatural action fans want to see.

Marvel's Ghost Rider is scheduled to hit theaters on July 28, 2028.