The Interview That Kicked Off Ryan Gosling’s Ghost Rider Talk with Marvel
After years of fan clamour, one Ryan has finally saddled up for Ghost Rider — while another surprised Comic-Con by turning up as Deadpool.
Back in July 2022, Ryan Gosling didn’t just flirt with the idea — he said out loud that Ghost Rider was the Marvel role he wanted. He said it on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, and the comment ricocheted across fandom fast enough that Marvel’s top boss heard it.
“Hey man, if Ryan wants to be Ghost Rider... Ryan’s unbelievable. Ryan is amazing... I’d love to find a place for him in the MCU. ”
That was Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige’s response at the time, a green light of enthusiasm that kept the fan-casting drumbeat going. Gosling kept stoking it too. On the same podcast this past March, he acknowledged that real talks were happening.
“We’ll keep hope alive. Some discussions have been had. It’s a complicated situation,”
Gosling said in March 2026 on Happy Sad Confused, without giving anything away. The payoff came a few months later at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, where Marvel made it official: Gosling is the MCU’s new Ghost Rider, with Shawn Levy set to direct a standalone film.
- July 2022 — Gosling names Ghost Rider as his dream Marvel role on Happy Sad Confused
- Soon after — Feige publicly welcomes the idea
- March 2026 — Gosling confirms talks on Happy Sad Confused
- SDCC 2026 — Marvel announces Gosling as Ghost Rider, Levy directing
Deadpool at Hall H
The Hall H show didn’t stop there. Ryan Reynolds crashed Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday presentation in full Deadpool gear, instantly turning the room into a pep rally. He bulldozed into the spotlight mid-tease for the next big MCU chapter and soaked up the roar.
Marvel still hasn’t officially said whether Reynolds appears in Doomsday, but the bit played like a winking confirmation that Wade Wilson’s future is secure. Reynolds bantered with Robert Downey Jr., lobbed jokes about whether the movie was truly “locked,” and hinted he’s more interested in pushing Deadpool into new corners than repeating the last hit.
For now, the next concrete step belongs to Ghost Rider: Gosling’s take will headline a standalone film directed by Shawn Levy.