After years of expressing interest in the role, Ryan Gosling is officially joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Ghost Rider.
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige announced the casting Saturday during the studio’s Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic-Con. Gosling appeared onstage to confirm that he will headline a standalone Ghost Rider movie scheduled to arrive in theaters sometime in 2028.
Ryan Gosling has been officially cast as Ghost Rider in the MCU. pic.twitter.com/XJrfpcFubo
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 26, 2026
“As you know, this is a character I’ve wanted to play for a long time,” Gosling told the audience.
According to Variety, the movie will be directed by Shawn Levy, who previously entered the MCU with the billion-dollar blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine. Levy recently worked with Gosling on Lucasfilm’s upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter.
Ryan Gosling Finally Gets His Marvel Role
Gosling has never appeared in a traditional superhero movie and has so far failed to anchor a lasting franchise. Despite considerable fan enthusiasm, sequels to previous efforts such as The Nice Guys and The Fall Guy appear unlikely to materialize. However, Gosling’s interest in Ghost Rider has been public knowledge for several years.
Ryan Gosling and Flynn Gray in Star Wars: Starfighter – Disney, Lucasfilm
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Earlier this year, Gosling confirmed on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that conversations about the character had taken place. However, he warned that the situation remained complicated.
“We’ll keep hope alive,” Gosling said. “Some discussions have been had. It’s a complicated situation.”
Whatever those complications were, they have apparently been resolved. Levy enthusiastically welcomed Gosling into the MCU during Saturday’s presentation and suggested that their experience making Starfighter helped bring the Ghost Rider project together.
“We spent a lot of time last year making Starfighter, and the opportunity as Ryan started talking about this character, I was like, ‘Bro let’s ride,’” Levy said. “We’ll see you in 2028!”
Marvel has not announced a specific release date, additional cast members, or story details. The studio also has not confirmed which incarnation of Ghost Rider Gosling will portray.
Ghost Rider Returns to the Big Screen
In Marvel Comics, the Ghost Rider mantle has belonged to several characters. The most famous remains Johnny Blaze, a motorcycle stunt performer who becomes bound to a demonic Spirit of Vengeance and punishes those responsible for harming innocent people.
Ghost Rider Annual : Mercy #2 (2008), Marvel Comics
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Nicolas Cage previously portrayed Blaze in 2007’s Ghost Rider and its 2011 sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. Both films were released before Marvel Studios began incorporating the character into its interconnected cinematic universe.
Gabriel Luna later played Robbie Reyes, another version of Ghost Rider, on ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Marvel Television subsequently began developing a standalone Ghost Rider series starring Luna for Hulu, but those plans were abandoned in 2019.
Marvel Fans Welcome Ryan Gosling’s Casting
Although many Marvel fans have lost confidence in the MCU following a series of disappointing projects, Gosling’s casting has been generally well-received. The success of this year’s Project Hail Mary has further established him as an actor with broad audience appeal.
Ryan Gosling in Project Hail Mary – Amazon MGM Studios
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Many of the comments shared online have expressed confidence in Gosling’s ability to lead a faithful adaptation of the popular comic book character.
His casting will give the supernatural antihero his first theatrical appearance in more than 15 years. It will also allow Marvel to explore the darker, horror-inspired side of its universe—an area the studio has repeatedly teased but rarely developed on the big screen.
What do you think of Ryan Gosling as Ghost Rider? Sound off and let us know!
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