Ryan Gosling joins MCU as Ghost Rider

Ryan Gosling is officially joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Ghost Rider.

Marvel Studios confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con that Gosling will play the Spirit of Vengeance in a new Ghost Rider movie, directed by Shawn Levy and currently planned for 2028. The two are already working together on Star Wars: Starfighter, but their next collaboration is going to involve considerably more fire, motorcycles, demons, and hopefully a flaming skull.

Gosling joining Marvel has been discussed for years. Back in 2022, rumors started circulating that Gosling could be playing Nova. He quickly shut those rumors down, but then revealed he wanted to play Ghost Rider.

That immediately got people's attention. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige was eventually asked about Gosling's interest and made it clear he would love to find a place for him in the MCU. 

For years, Ghost Rider remained one of those Marvel characters sitting on the sidelines while fans wondered when he would finally enter the MCU.

Nicolas Cage played Johnny Blaze in Ghost Rider in 2007 and returned for Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance in 2012. Gabriel Luna later gave us Robbie Reyes on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but Marvel Studios had never introduced its own theatrical version of the character.

Meanwhile, Gosling's name kept floating around the MCU.

Things became considerably more interesting earlier this year when he confirmed that actual conversations with Kevin Feige about Ghost Rider had taken place. Gosling described the situation as complicated, which made it sound like this might become another one of those castings’ fans talk about forever without anything actually happening.

Ghost Rider needs more than someone who looks good standing next to a motorcycle. Johnny Blaze is a stuntman who makes a deal that ultimately leaves him bonded to the demon Zarathos and transforming into the Ghost Rider. Underneath all the supernatural insanity is a character carrying guilt, anger, regret, and an enormous burden. This corner of Marvel should be darker, supernatural, violent, and occasionally frightening. We have already seen pieces of that world through characters like Doctor Strange, Moon Knight, Werewolf by Night, and Blade's continued presence in Marvel's plans, but Ghost Rider can push the MCU much further into supernatural horror.