Ryan Gosling to Play Ghost Rider in Marvel 2028 Film

SAN DIEGO - Ryan Gosling is joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The three-time Oscar nominee will star as Ghost Rider in a new standalone film, Marvel Studios revealed during its Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con, with the movie set to arrive in theaters in 2028.

Studio chief Kevin Feige unveiled the casting on Saturday, capping years of speculation that had trailed the actor since he first spoke publicly about coveting the part. Appearing onstage after the reveal, Gosling seemed to marvel at the moment, asking the crowd whether it was really happening before confirming that the flaming-skulled antihero was a role he had wanted to take on for a long time.

He will play Johnny Blaze, the motorcycle stuntman of Marvel Comics lore who sells his soul and is transformed into the Spirit of Vengeance, a demonic rider wreathed in fire. The film reunites Gosling with director Shawn Levy, who steered “Deadpool & Wolverine,” and screenwriter Jonathan Tropper — the same core team behind next year’s “Star Wars: Starfighter.”

A team reunion straight off “Starfighter”

Levy, appearing alongside Gosling and Feige, told the audience the project grew directly out of their collaboration on “Starfighter,” recalling that as Gosling began talking about the character, his response was simply an invitation to ride. He signed off by promising fans they would see the result in 2028.

According to trade reporting, production on the untitled film is expected to begin in 2027, allowing the trio to move from post-production on “Starfighter” straight into the Marvel shoot. A specific release date has not been set, though several outlets have pointed to a 2028 window, with some reports citing May.

From Nicolas Cage to the MCU

Ghost Rider has reached the screen before. Nicolas Cage played Johnny Blaze in two pre-MCU films, 2007’s “Ghost Rider” and 2011’s “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance,” which together grossed more than $361 million worldwide despite a tepid critical reception. A separate incarnation of the character, Robbie Reyes, was portrayed by Gabriel Luna on the ABC series “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Marvel Studios regained the film rights to the property in 2013.

For Gosling, the role continues a busy stretch that includes an Academy Award nomination for “Barbie,” a leading turn in this year’s “Project Hail Mary” and the coming “Star Wars: Starfighter.” The Ghost Rider announcement was one of several Marvel unveiled at the panel, which also included the reveal of David Jonsson as the new lead of “Black Panther 3,” dated for December 2028, and fresh footage from the studio’s “Avengers: Doomsday.”

With the Multiverse Saga winding down, the casting gives Marvel a marquee name to anchor a new chapter — and hands Gosling a character he has publicly chased for years.