Ryan Gosling has been dropping hints about a dream Marvel role for years, and the world finally got its answer this weekend. The confirmation came straight from Kevin Feige himself, and it did not disappoint.
The rumors had been swirling for months, but nothing was official until Marvel Studios took the stage for its Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2026. Gosling walked out to the sound of a revving motorcycle engine, which should have been the first clue for anyone still holding out hope this was just another fan theory.
Ryan Gosling Confirmed as Ghost Rider’s Johnny Blaze
Feige confirmed that Gosling will play Johnny Blaze, the stunt driver turned Spirit of Vengeance, in a brand new Ghost Rider film set for 2028. Gosling clearly could not contain himself walking onto that stage.
“Wow. Is this really happening?” he said, before adding, “As you know, this is a character I’ve wanted to play for a very long time.”
Shawn Levy is directing, reuniting with Gosling after Star Wars: Starfighter, due out May 28, 2027. Jonathan Tropper, who wrote Starfighter, is also returning to pen the Ghost Rider script. Levy did not hold back his enthusiasm for his leading man either.
“Gosling is the absolute shit,” Levy said, quickly clarifying, “I say that with tremendous respect.” He went on to explain how the project came together on the set of Starfighter: “The opportunity as Ryan started talking about this character, I was like, ‘Bro, let’s ride.’ We’ll see you in 2028!”
This marks Levy’s second trip to the MCU after directing Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024, something he referenced onstage. “I’m having the greatest flashback vibes here, because I was here two years ago when we showed Deadpool & Wolverine,” he said.
Johnny Blaze was previously brought to the big screen by Nicolas Cage in Sony’s 2007 Ghost Rider and its 2011 sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. Gabriel Luna also played a version of the character, Robbie Reyes, on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., though a planned Hulu spinoff for that iteration was scrapped back in 2019. Gosling’s take now looks set to be the character’s first true entry into the mainline MCU.
Created by Gary Friedrich and Mike Ploog, Johnny Blaze first roared onto the page in 1972’s Marvel Spotlight No. 5 before landing his own series a year later. Over five decades later, he is finally getting the big-screen MCU treatment fans have wanted for a long time, and who better than Gosling?