Ryan Gosling Is Marvel's New Ghost Rider, With Shawn Levy Set to Direct 2028 Film
By Entertainment Desk | San Diego, July 26, 2026
Ryan Gosling is riding into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Ghost Rider. Marvel Studios confirmed the casting during its Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, with "Deadpool & Wolverine" director Shawn Levy attached to helm the standalone film, set for release in 2028.
The reveal ends more than three years of will-he-won't-he speculation and hands Marvel one of its most requested fan-casting matches ever attempted. It also confirms that Gosling and Levy, already paired on the upcoming "Star Wars: Starfighter," are staying in business together for at least one more ride.
How the Announcement Unfolded in Hall H
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige set the moment up as a bit, according to multiple outlets in the room. A journalist in the crowd — Josh Horowitz, host of the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast — called out a question about Gosling, and Feige used it as the cue to walk the actor onto the stage as a motorcycle engine revved over the sound system.
Gosling didn't play it cool. "Wow, is this really happening?" he told the crowd, before adding a line that made the announcement feel personal rather than corporate: this was a character he had wanted to play for a long time.
He then turned the moment over to his director. Gosling said only one filmmaker could bring the character to life, and named Levy, who joined him on stage to confirm he'd take the job.
Levy's "Bro, Let's Ride" Moment
Levy leaned into the theatrics. He told the Hall H audience he was having flashbacks to two years earlier, when he'd stood in the same room to unveil "Deadpool & Wolverine" — the R-rated 2024 hit that reestablished him as one of Marvel's go-to directors. He said the Ghost Rider idea had been forming during downtime on the "Starfighter" set, where he and Gosling kept circling back to the character between takes. At some point, Levy said, he simply told Gosling to go for it.
It's a short line, but it captures the tone of the whole reveal: two collaborators publicly deciding, mid-shoot on one blockbuster, to build another one together.
What We Know About the Movie So Far
Details are still thin. Marvel has not released a title beyond "Ghost Rider," has not named a screenwriter for the project specifically, and has not said whether the film sits inside the current MCU timeline or launches as a more standalone entry, an approach the studio has used before with horror-adjacent properties.
What is confirmed: Gosling stars, Levy directs, and the film is targeting a 2028 theatrical release. Marvel unveiled a logo and title treatment on the Hall H screen following the announcement, according to reporting from the panel.
A Character Description, Not Yet a Confirmed Identity
Coverage out of the panel describes Gosling as set to play Johnny Blaze, the stunt-motorcyclist-turned-demon-host who is the character's most recognizable comic and film incarnation. That said, some outlets have flagged genuine uncertainty here: Marvel's Ghost Rider mantle has passed between multiple characters in the comics, most notably Blaze and Danny Ketch, and Marvel's own announcement copy has not pinned down which version Gosling is playing with total precision. Readers should treat "Johnny Blaze" as the widely reported expectation rather than an ironclad studio confirmation until Marvel details the film further.
Ghost Rider's Complicated History on Screen
This isn't the character's first trip to a movie screen — and its track record is part of why fans reacted with as much surprise as excitement.
Nicolas Cage played Johnny Blaze in two Sony-produced films: 2007's "Ghost Rider" and the 2011 sequel "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance." Sony held the film rights at the time, separate from the Marvel Studios-produced MCU, the same arrangement that still keeps Spider-Man's film rights split between the two companies. Combined, the two Cage films grossed north of $360 million worldwide but landed roughly in "beloved by some, dismissed by critics" territory rather than franchise-launching hits.
Ghost Rider's live-action rights eventually reverted to Marvel. The studio brought a different version of the character, Robbie Reyes, to television through Gabriel Luna's performance on ABC's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." Luna was lined up to headline a spinoff series for Hulu, but that project was shelved before production got underway.
The Character's Comic Book Roots
Ghost Rider originated in the comics in 1972, created by writer Gary Friedrich and artist Mike Ploog, first appearing in Marvel Spotlight No. 5 before graduating to his own ongoing series a year later. The core premise has stayed intact across every incarnation: a motorcycle rider strikes a deal with a demonic entity and becomes bonded to it, transforming into a flaming-skulled figure who metes out supernatural justice, usually against people whose souls are already tainted.
| Actor | Character | Project | Year(s) | Studio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicolas Cage | Johnny Blaze | Ghost Rider | 2007 | Sony/Columbia |
| Nicolas Cage | Johnny Blaze | Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance | 2011 | Sony/Columbia |
| Gabriel Luna | Robbie Reyes | Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | 2016–2017 | ABC/Marvel TV |
| Ryan Gosling | Reported as Johnny Blaze | Ghost Rider (MCU) | 2028 (planned) | Marvel Studios |
Why Gosling Has Wanted This Role for Years
Saturday's announcement wasn't the first time Gosling's name and Ghost Rider's had been in the same sentence. He's been publicly circling the role since at least 2022, when he told Josh Horowitz on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast that "some discussions" had taken place with Marvel, calling the situation "complicated" while stopping short of confirming anything.
Feige, for his part, had already signaled openness to the idea years earlier. Speaking on a Comic-Con red carpet after learning of Gosling's interest, the Marvel Studios chief praised the actor and said he'd welcome finding him a spot in the MCU — remarks that, in hindsight, look like the earliest public breadcrumb toward Saturday's reveal.
There's also a family footnote to the story that reporters have leaned on repeatedly: Gosling's longtime partner, Eva Mendes, co-starred opposite Cage in the 2007 "Ghost Rider" film. Asked about it on the same podcast appearance, Gosling joked that he was glad at least one member of the household had gotten to play the role before him.
The Star Wars Connection Fueling the Casting
None of this happens in a vacuum. Gosling and Levy are currently finishing "Star Wars: Starfighter," an original film set outside the existing "Star Wars" saga timeline, written by Jonathan Tropper and scheduled to reach theaters on May 28, 2027. Marvel's Ghost Rider film would follow that release by roughly a year.
Reporters at the panel framed the sequence as almost inevitable once the two projects overlapped: a director and star spending months together on one blockbuster set, discovering a shared obsession with a specific comic book character, and pitching a follow-up while the cameras were still rolling nearby. Levy's own comments from the stage support that account directly — he described the Ghost Rider conversations as something that built gradually across "Starfighter" production before reaching a tipping point.
Levy's Marvel Track Record
Levy isn't a first-time visitor to the studio. His work on "Deadpool & Wolverine" in 2024 became one of the biggest box-office successes in the franchise's recent history and reestablished his standing with Marvel leadership. Pairing him with Ghost Rider — a character whose two prior film outings leaned into R-rated, horror-tinged tone before Marvel Studios softened the approach for its own PG-13 house style — has fans speculating about how dark the new version might be allowed to go.
Fan and Industry Reaction
The room's reaction was immediate. Multiple outlets covering the panel described Hall H erupting when Gosling walked out, with fans who had queued for over a day for seats reportedly making themselves heard the moment the motorcycle sound cue hit.
Online, the response split into familiar camps. Plenty of comic book fans treated the casting as close to a dream outcome, given how long Gosling's name had circulated as an unofficial favorite for the role. A smaller, more skeptical contingent questioned why an actor with Gosling's dramatic resume — films like "Drive," "Blade Runner 2049," and "La La Land" among them — needed a superhero franchise at all, a version of a debate that tends to follow any A-list actor joining a comic book tentpole.
There's also a parallel conversation happening around Nicolas Cage, who has publicly downplayed any interest in joining the MCU in the past, once telling an interviewer flatly that he didn't need Marvel because of who he already was. That older comment recirculated widely online in the hours after the Gosling news broke, with fans framing Cage's version of the character as its own permanent, self-contained legacy rather than something Gosling is being asked to replace.
What Happens Next
Marvel has not released a shooting timeline, casting beyond Gosling, or plot details for the new "Ghost Rider." With a 2028 release date already staked out and "Starfighter" still ahead of it on both men's calendars, the earliest concrete updates — a writer, additional cast, a start-of-production announcement — are unlikely to land for months. Saturday's Hall H reveal was a name-and-date confirmation, not a first-look rollout, and Marvel typically follows this stage with a longer gap before returning with casting or footage.
Key Facts
- Ryan Gosling was confirmed as Ghost Rider at Marvel Studios' Hall H panel, San Diego Comic-Con, July 25–26, 2026.
- Shawn Levy, director of "Deadpool & Wolverine," will direct the new film.
- The movie is targeting a 2028 theatrical release; no title beyond "Ghost Rider" has been confirmed.
- Gosling and Levy previously collaborated on "Star Wars: Starfighter," due in theaters May 28, 2027.
- Nicolas Cage played Johnny Blaze in Sony's 2007 and 2011 Ghost Rider films; Gabriel Luna played Robbie Reyes on "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."
- Reports describe Gosling as expected to play Johnny Blaze, though Marvel has not confirmed the exact comic incarnation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ryan Gosling really playing Ghost Rider in the MCU?
Yes. Marvel Studios confirmed the casting during its Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con on July 25, 2026, with Gosling appearing on stage alongside Kevin Feige and Shawn Levy.
When does Ryan Gosling's Ghost Rider movie come out?
Marvel has targeted a 2028 theatrical release. No specific date has been announced yet.
Who is directing Ghost Rider with Ryan Gosling?
Shawn Levy, who directed 2024's "Deadpool & Wolverine," will direct the film.
Which version of Ghost Rider will Ryan Gosling play — Johnny Blaze or Danny Ketch?
Most reporting describes Gosling as taking on Johnny Blaze, the character Nicolas Cage played in the 2007 and 2011 films, but Marvel has not explicitly confirmed which comic incarnation the movie will use.
Has Ryan Gosling played a Marvel character before?
No. This marks his first superhero or comic book film role.
How does this connect to Ryan Gosling's Star Wars: Starfighter role?
Gosling and Levy are currently finishing "Star Wars: Starfighter," in theaters May 28, 2027. Both have said the Ghost Rider idea developed out of conversations they had while working on that film together.
Marvel's Hall H slate isn't finished for the year, and further details on "Ghost Rider" — casting, plot, tone — are expected to trickle out over the next several months as "Star Wars: Starfighter" moves toward its own May 2027 release.
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