Ryan Gosling to Star in Marvel’s Ghost Rider Movie

Ryan Gosling is finally joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The “Project Hail Mary” star will play Ghost Rider in a new standalone movie, Marvel Studios exec Kevin Feige announced onstage from Hall H at San Diego Comic Con. The film will be directed by Shawn Levy and is slated to release in 2028. Levy is no stranger to the world of Marvel, most recently directing and producing the blockbuster “Deadpool & Wolverine” film. Gosling will be the second actor to play the Spirit of Vengeance after Nicolas Cage played the fiery motorcycle rider in two Sony movies. The character was also portrayed by Gabriel Luna as the Robbie Reyes version of the comic book character in the Marvel-ABC series “Agents of SHIELD.” Luna was set to reprise the role in a standalone series for Hulu, but that project was scrapped in 2019. Popular on Variety Cage first starred in Sony’s “Ghost Rider” movie in 2007, playing motorcycle stuntman Johnny Blaze. In the comics and his origin story movie, Johnny sells his soul to the devil Mephisto in order to cure his father’s cancer. As with any deal with the devil, Mephisto does cure Johnny’s dad, but he still dies in a stunt accident. Johnny then becomes bonded to a supernatural demon called the Spirit of Vengeance and is able to transform into a flaming, skeletal biker. He also has super-strength, wields fiery chain whips and can force someone to experience the emotional pain they’ve inflicted upon others with his Penance Stare. Cage reprised his role for the 2011 sequel, “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance,” but reviews for both films were mostly negative. The rights to Ghost Rider reverted to Marvel Studios, which reinvented the character for the ABC TV show “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Gabriel Luna played the Robby Reyes version of the character, who’s a younger, Latino man who takes on the Ghost Rider mantle. Gosling is having a major year after starring in “Project Hail Mary,” and he’ll join the Star Wars universe in next year’s “Starfighter” spinoff.