Ryan Gosling has spent years publicly campaigning for one Marvel role. On Saturday at San Diego Comic-Con, he finally got it.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed during the studio’s Hall H panel that Gosling will play the Ghost Rider in a new film directed by Shawn Levy, set for release in 2028. The reveal capped a rumor cycle that had been building for more than a year, ever since Gosling first admitted talks with Marvel about the character were underway.
How the Reveal Played Out
Feige welcomed Gosling to the stage, introducing him as the MCU’s new Spirit of Vengeance. “Wow, is this really happening?” Gosling told the crowd, before naming the one director he wanted for the job. Levy then walked out to join him, telling the audience he was getting “the greatest flashback vibes,” referencing his appearance at the same panel two years earlier for “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
The pairing isn’t new. Gosling and Levy just wrapped “Star Wars: Starfighter,” due in theaters May 28, 2027, and the chemistry from that shoot appears to have carried directly into the Ghost Rider pitch. Marvel unveiled a logo and title treatment for the film shortly after the announcement.
Fast Facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Character | Ghost Rider |
| Actor | Ryan Gosling |
| Director | Shawn Levy |
| Announced | July 25, 2026, San Diego Comic-Con Hall H |
| Release | 2028 |
| Gosling’s prior superhero roles | None — his first comic book film |
| Prior collaboration | Star Wars: Starfighter (Levy directs, May 28, 2027) |
| Previous Ghost Rider films | Ghost Rider (2007), Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011) |
| Previous Ghost Rider actor | Nicolas Cage |
| Combined box office (2007 & 2011 films) | $361 million+ worldwide |
| Other screen Ghost Rider | Gabriel Luna as Robbie Reyes, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. |
Which Ghost Rider Is Gosling Playing?
Marvel hasn’t specified which iteration of the character Gosling will portray. The role has two well-known big-screen and TV histories: Johnny Blaze, the stunt-rider-turned-demon-hunter Nicolas Cage played across two films in 2007 and 2011, and Danny Ketch, the ’90s-era comics version some fans have pushed for as a fresher take. Gabriel Luna played a third version, Robbie Reyes, on “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” but that character existed outside official MCU film continuity.
There’s a personal thread running through the casting, too. Eva Mendes, Gosling’s longtime partner, starred opposite Cage in the 2007 film — a connection Gosling has joked about publicly, saying he was glad at least one of them got to play the role.
The Supernatural Corner Gets Its Headliner
Ghost Rider gives Marvel its first headlining feature built around the supernatural corner of the universe it’s been quietly expanding through “Doctor Strange,” “Werewolf by Night,” “Moon Knight” and “Agatha All Along.” Whether the film ties directly into any of those characters, or sets up the long-rumored “Midnight Suns” project, remains unconfirmed. What is clear is that Marvel handed one of its most tonally distinct characters to a proven director-actor pair fresh off a hit, rather than starting the relationship from scratch — a lower-risk bet than most first-time superhero castings.
