Ryan Gosling to star in Marvel's Ghost Rider movie
Ryan Gosling is set to star in Marvel's Ghost Rider movie as a new MCU standalone, with Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige confirming the casting at San Diego Comic-Con. The Project Hail Mary actor will take on the Spirit of Vengeance, becoming the second performer to play the flaming antihero after Nicolas Cage's Sony films.
Key Takeaways
- Kevin Feige announced Ryan Gosling will play Ghost Rider in a Marvel Studios standalone movie at San Diego Comic-Con.
- Gosling, fresh off Project Hail Mary, is finally joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- Nicolas Cage previously played Johnny Blaze in Sony's 2007 Ghost Rider and the 2011 sequel Spirit of Vengeance.
- Marvel later reinvented the character on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., with Gabriel Luna as Robbie Reyes.
- Gosling will also appear next year in the Star Wars spinoff Starfighter.
What did Marvel announce about Ryan Gosling and Ghost Rider?
Per Variety's report, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con that Ryan Gosling will star as Ghost Rider. The project is described as a new standalone movie inside the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The news marks Gosling's long-awaited MCU entry. Variety notes the Project Hail Mary star is having a major year, and the Comic-Con reveal puts him at the center of one of Marvel's most visually distinct antiheroes.
Who played Ghost Rider before Gosling?
Gosling will be the second actor to portray the Spirit of Vengeance on the big screen after Nicolas Cage. Cage first starred in Sony's Ghost Rider in 2007 as motorcycle stuntman Johnny Blaze.
In the comics and that origin story movie, Johnny sells his soul to the devil Mephisto to cure his father's cancer. Mephisto does cure Johnny's dad, but the father still dies in a stunt accident. Johnny then bonds with a supernatural demon called the Spirit of Vengeance and can transform into a flaming, skeletal biker.
Ghost Rider also has super-strength, wields fiery chain whips, and can force someone to feel the emotional pain they have inflicted on others through the Penance Stare. Cage returned for 2011's Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, though reviews for both films were mostly negative.
How has Marvel handled Ghost Rider since the Sony films?
The rights to Ghost Rider later reverted to Marvel Studios. The studio reinvented the character for the ABC series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., where Gabriel Luna played Robbie Reyes, a younger Latino man who takes on the Ghost Rider mantle.
Gosling's standalone film brings the property back to theaters under Marvel Studios. Fans following franchise alerts on BlasterPost's Streaming & TV Alerts page will want to watch for cast and release updates as they emerge.
Beyond Marvel, Variety reports Gosling will join the Star Wars universe next year in the Starfighter spinoff. The Comic-Con announcement did not include a release date or creative-team details for Ghost Rider.