Will Ryan Gosling Play Ghost Rider? Release timing, casting buzz, and what’s real
Marvel is at last bringing Ghost Rider into the MCU with a solo film — but who’s behind the flaming skull?
Marvel ’s Hall H showstopper wasn’t just the fiery skull logo. After years of “where’s Ghost Rider?” questions, Kevin Feige brought out Ryan Gosling to a roar, with the actor telling the room he’s always wanted to don the leathers. Then came the kicker: Gosling introduced Shawn Levy —fresh off Deadpool & Wolverine —who’s officially set to direct the character’s first Marvel Studios movie.
The film is part of Marvel’s planned Phase 7 slate and is aiming for a 2028 window. No exact release date, cast list, or which version of the character will lead the story were announced on stage.
Ghost Rider is targeting a 2028 release as part of Marvel’s Phase 7.
What’s set, what’s TBD
- Confirmed: A new Ghost Rider movie from Marvel Studios; Shawn Levy directing; unveiled during San Diego Comic-Con 2026 ’s Hall H presentation; part of Phase 7.
- Not announced: A specific release date; full cast; the on-screen identity of Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze, Robbie Reyes, etc.).
- In the room: Ryan Gosling, who said he’s wanted the role, but Marvel stopped short of naming his character.
This will be the character’s first big-screen ride in the MCU era. On TV, Gabriel Luna played Robbie Reyes in Season 4 of ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. On the film side, Nicolas Cage last appeared as Johnny Blaze in 2011’s Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.
Who is Johnny Blaze?
In the comics, Johnny Blaze is a motorcycle stunt rider who strikes a desperate bargain with the demon Mephisto to save his surrogate father. The deal binds him to the Spirit of Vengeance, Zarathos, turning Blaze into a skull-faced antihero wreathed in hellfire, armed with a chain and cursed to punish the wicked.
Ghost Rider folds neatly into Marvel’s darker, supernatural lane—think Blade, Moon Knight and Werewolf by Night—now moving onto the big screen with a full-throttle feature. For now, the only clock on the wall is the Phase 7 window in 2028; everything else arrives when Marvel’s ready to say it on the record.