HomeNews
News

‘Ghost Rider’: Ryan Gosling Will Ride Into The MCU In 2028; Shawn Levy Directing [Comic-Con]

Ryan Gosling finally gets his Marvel wish as ‘Ghost Rider’ brings Johnny Blaze and the Spirit of Vengeance into the MCU in 2028.

Rodrigo Perez
By Rodrigo Perez
0
715
‘Ghost Rider’: Ryan Gosling Will Ride Into The MCU In 2028; Shawn Levy Directing [Comic-Con]

After years of publicly flirting with the idea, Canadian actor Ryan Gosling is finally getting his wish. Marvel Studios officially announced “Ghost Rider” during its San Diego Comic-Con Hall H presentation, confirming that Gosling will star in the MCU’s long-awaited take on the supernatural antihero. The film is set to open in theaters in 2028, with Shawn Levy (“Deadpool & Wolverine”) directing.

READ MORE: Ryan Gosling Says Kevin Feige ‘Ghost Rider’ Talks Have Happened, But Calls It “Complicated”

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige welcomed Gosling to the Hall H stage, where the actor was introduced as the MCU’s new Spirit of Vengeance. Gosling and Levy obviously have a relationship, as Levy just finished directing “Star Wars: Starfighter” due in 2027 via Lucasfilm. Speaking of “Starfighter,” it will also have a script penned by that film’s screenwriter Jonathan Tropper (“Lucky,” “Your Friends & Neighbors”)

The announcement pays off a conversation that has been unfolding in public for years. Gosling first singled out Ghost Rider as the Marvel character he wanted to play back in 2022, prompting Feige to say he would “love to find a place for him in the MCU.” Earlier this year, Gosling finally acknowledged that actual discussions had taken place, telling us, “Some discussions have been had,” while adding that it was “a complicated situation.”

Whatever those complications were, Marvel and Gosling have apparently worked through them.

Gosling won’t be the first actor to bring the character to live action. Gabriel Luna played Robbie Reyes on “Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” while Nicolas Cage headlined 2007’s “Ghost Rider” and returned for 2011’s “Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance.” There’s even a personal Gosling connection to that first film: Eva Mendes starred opposite Cage, something Gosling joked about earlier this year when discussing the role. “I’m just happy one of us got to do it,” he said.

The project also substantially expands the supernatural side of Marvel’s universe, which has gradually taken shape through “Doctor Strange,” “Werewolf By Night,” “Moon Knight,” and “Agatha All Along.” Whether “Ghost Rider” connects directly to any of those characters—or whatever Marvel has planned for its supernatural heroes after “Avengers: Secret Wars,” like the long-rumored “Midnight Suns” movie—remains unknown. We’ll keep our fingers crossed that they’ll be able to add Mahershala Ali’s Blade in the pic (or whoever ends up in the part), as the horror characters in the comics often interacted with each other over the decades, as these two specifically ended up being founding members of the “Midnight Sons” alongside Strange.

Support independent movie journalism to keep it alive. Sign up for The Playlist Newsletter. All the content you want and, oh, right, it’s free.

No footage was shown during the presentation, with production expected to begin in 2027, given the projected release, as “Ghost Rider” opens exclusively in theaters sometime in 2028.

RP for bio
+ posts

Born in Chile, raised in Canada, now living in Brooklyn, NY, Rodrigo Perez is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Playlist, which he launched in 2007. He has worked in entertainment journalism since 2000, including at MTV, and has written for SPIN, IndieWire, Pitchfork, Complex, Magnet, MuchMusic, and various music, film, and entertainment publications over the past two decades.

Previous article
‘Carrie’ Trailer: Mike Flanagan Reimagines Stephen King’s Prom-Night Nightmare For The Social Media Age [Comic-Con]
Next article
Hayley Atwell Confirmed For ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ & Ryan Reynolds Shows Up In Denim Deadpool Costume [Comic-Con]
Rodrigo Perez
Rodrigo Perez
Born in Chile, raised in Canada, now living in Brooklyn, NY, Rodrigo Perez is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Playlist, which he launched in 2007. He has worked in entertainment journalism since 2000, including at MTV, and has written for SPIN, IndieWire, Pitchfork, Complex, Magnet, MuchMusic, and various music, film, and entertainment publications over the past two decades.

Related Articles

Stay Connected

221,000FansLike
18,300FollowersFollow
10,000FollowersFollow
14,400SubscribersSubscribe

NEWSLETTER

News, Reviews, Exclusive Interviews: The Best of The Playlist in your Inbox daily.

Latest Articles

Load more