Ryan Gosling To Star In Marvel's Ghost Rider Movie, Shawn Levy Directing [SDCC 2026]
Ryan Gosling is set to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Ghost Rider in an upcoming film, marking a surprise announcement from the Marvel panel at San Diego Comic Con.
Aside from the Nicolas Cage "Ghost Rider" adaptations (back when the character was still under the Sony umbrella) and "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," the Marvel and ABC series that cast Gabriel Luna as both iterations of the character: Robbie Reyes and Johnny Blaze. Now, the role will become a big part of the MCU's apparent reinvention as it brings more and more Sony characters into the fold.
Casting Gosling is an enormous deal. Though the Canadian-born Oscar nominee has sort of commented on swirling rumors that he might play Ghost Rider, this is still a massive surprise; in March of 2026, Gosling appeared on Josh Horowitz's "Happy Sad Confused" podcast and spoke out about said rumors. "Some discussions have been had. It's a complicated situation," he said then. Now, it seems like any and all complications have been cleared up.
This is Ryan Gosling's first foray into the MCU
Over the years, Ryan Gosling has proven himself as one of Hollywood's most versatile performers; it's actually sort of astonishing that the same guy who almost singlehandedly led Nicholas Winding Refn's "Drive" also played a pitch-perfect, insanely funny Ken in Greta Gerwig's excellent "Barbie" movie. Gosling is able to switch between comedy and drama pretty seamlessly, in fact; whether the guy is mocking the "Avatar" font on "Saturday Night Live" or appearing alongside Michelle Williams as one half of a failing marriage in "Blue Valentine."
Plus, Gosling ably proved, in 2026, that he can lead a blockbuster. "Project Hail Mary," the blockbuster smash adapted from Andy Weir's hit sci-fi novel of the same name, stars Gosling as Dr. Ryland Grace, a middle school science teacher who ends up shot into space to attempt to save the world from certain drought and famine after a mysterious force starts blocking the sun.
Congratulations to Gosling, and frankly, congratulations to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for booking such a talented actor to portray this antihero.