SAN DIEGO — In one of the most explosive revelations at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige officially announced that Ryan Gosling is joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Ghost Rider. The standalone feature film will be helmed by director Shawn Levy (Deadpool & Wolverine) and is scheduled to hit theaters worldwide in 2028.
The reveal took place during Marvel Studios’ high-octane Hall H presentation. Feige brought Gosling onto the stage to the roaring sound cue of a revving motorcycle, sending thousands of fans into a frenzy.
”As you know, this is a character I’ve wanted to play for a very long time,” Gosling shared on stage. “But if we’re really going to do this, there’s only one director who can do it.“
He then introduced Shawn Levy, with whom Gosling has recently wrapped filming on Star Wars: Starfighter.
Levy, who brought Deadpool & Wolverine to massive box office acclaim, expressed his excitement to re-team with Gosling:
”We spent a lot of time last year making Starfighter, and as Ryan started talking about his vision for this character, I was like, ‘Bro, let’s ride!’ We’ll see you in 2028!”
Key Highlights of the Announcement:
The Character: Gosling takes on the iconic role of Johnny Blaze, the stunt rider who makes a pact with Mephisto to become the flaming-skulled Spirit of Vengeance.
Previous Incarnations: This marks Ghost Rider’s official debut in the main MCU timeline. Nicolas Cage previously played Johnny Blaze in Sony’s 2007 and 2011 films, while Gabriel Luna played Robbie Reyes on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Production Duo: The film marks another high-profile collaboration between Ryan Gosling and Shawn Levy following their sci-fi project Star Wars: Starfighter (releasing in May 2027).
Release Window: Marvel Studios has officially slotted the standalone Ghost Rider movie for a 2028 theatrical release.
