Marvel just handed Ryan Gosling the role he’s been chasing for years. A revving engine, a surprise walk-on, and Kevin Feige grinning through it all. Ghost Rider rides again in 2028, this time with Gosling in the leather jacket.
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Marvel Studios has cast Ryan Gosling as Ghost Rider. Kevin Feige made the announcement at Comic-Con in San Diego on Saturday, during Marvel’s Hall H panel. Gosling will play Johnny Blaze in a standalone film set for 2028.
Feige built up the moment by referencing years of fan speculation about Gosling joining Marvel. He then brought Gosling out on stage to a roaring motorcycle sound effect. The crowd reacted with loud cheers. Gosling told the audience he’d wanted this role for a long time, and said only one director could handle it.
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That director is Shawn Levy. He joined Gosling on stage and confirmed he’ll direct the new film. Levy directed Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024, another Marvel hit. He said the idea for Ghost Rider came up while he and Gosling were shooting their current project together.
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Gosling and Levy are finishing Star Wars: Starfighter right now. That film hits theaters on May 28, 2027. According to Levy, the pair spent time on that set discussing Ghost Rider and swapping ideas. He joked about how the pitch came together on the fly.
This marks Gosling’s first time playing a superhero or comic book character. He’s coming off a big year, with Project Hail Mary drawing strong numbers at the box office. He’s also set to appear in the Star Wars spinoff before Ghost Rider begins production.
Ghost Rider first appeared in Marvel Spotlight No. 5 in 1972. Writer Gary Friedrich and artist Mike Ploog created the character. Johnny Blaze is a stunt motorcycle rider who makes a deal with the devil and becomes a fiery avenger.
Nicolas Cage played Blaze in two earlier films, released by Sony in 2007 and 2011. Those movies made more than $361 million combined at the box office. The rights later returned to Marvel Studios.
A different version of the character also appeared on TV. Gabriel Luna played Robbie Reyes, a younger take on Ghost Rider, in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. That version never became part of the main MCU timeline. A planned Hulu series with Luna was scrapped back in 2019.
Gosling had hinted at this for years. Back in 2022, he mentioned interest in playing Ghost Rider while denying rumors about a different Marvel role. Feige responded at the time by saying he’d love to find a place for Gosling in the MCU.
Earlier this year, Gosling confirmed on a podcast that discussions with Marvel were happening, though he called the situation complicated. That set the stage for Saturday’s announcement.
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