Ryan Gosling Joins MCU as GHOST RIDER With DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Director Shawn Levy
Marvel Studios finally made it official, and Hall H absolutely erupted. After years of fan casting, rumors, wish lists, and endless speculation, Ryan Gosling is officially joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Ghost Rider.
The announcement came during Marvel Studios' San Diego Comic-Con panel, where fans got confirmation that one of Marvel's most anticipated casting choices is actually happening. Even better, the movie already has an exciting filmmaker attached.
Marvel revealed that Ghost Rider will hit theaters in 2028, with Shawn Levy directing the film. Levy previously directed Deadpool & Wolverine and also worked with Gosling on the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter, making this another major collaboration between the actor and director.
This is one of those castings that feels like it has been building for years. Fans have wanted to see Gosling step into the fiery role for a long time, and now it's finally becoming a reality. The excitement inside Hall H was off the charts, with the crowd going absolutely bonkers the moment the announcement was made.
Gosling even took the stage during the presentation to celebrate the news and shared his excitement about finally getting the chance to play the Spirit of Vengeance.
“As you know this is a character I’ve wanted to play for a long time,” he said.
Gosling has expressed interest in the character before, and now he'll finally get to bring his own version of Ghost Rider into the MCU. It's hard to imagine a better fit for Johnny Blaze, a character who has to balance quiet humanity with supernatural rage while riding a hellfire-powered motorcycle.
The character has a fascinating history on screen. Nicolas Cage previously played Johnny Blaze in Ghost Rider (2007) and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011). Those films existed outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but they developed a loyal fan following over the years.
An interesting bit of trivia is that the first Ghost Rider movie also starred Gosling's longtime partner, Eva Mendes, who played Johnny Blaze's love interest, Roxanne Simpson.
Later, Gabriel Luna introduced another version of Ghost Rider, Robbie Reyes, in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. The series even hinted that Johnny Blaze existed somewhere in that universe, though it never actually identified him by name. Marvel also attempted to develop a standalone Ghost Rider television series before ultimately canceling those plans in 2019.
Now, Ghost Rider is finally getting the full Marvel Studios treatment on the big screen.
This announcement feels like one of those moments fans have been waiting years to celebrate. Ghost Rider has consistently been one of the most requested Marvel characters to join the MCU, and Gosling has remained at the top of fan casting lists for what feels like forever.
Seeing Marvel make it official is incredibly exciting, and pairing him with Shawn Levy tells fans that this is going to receive the MCU cinematic debut fans have been hoping for.
With a 2028 release date locked in, the wait begins, and the Spirit of Vengeance is finally roaring into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and fans couldn't be more pumped.