Ryan Gosling undergoes an infernal transformation to become Ghost Rider in new Marvel Cinematic Universe art.
Ghost Rider was famously played by Nicolas Cage in two live-action movies in the character’s standalone franchise. While Ryan Reynolds considered bringing back Cage’s Ghost Rider in Deadpool & Wolverine, the actor never joined the MCU movie timeline. The closest a Ghost Rider has come to the MCU was in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., where Gabriel Luna gave life to the Robbie Reyes version of Ghost Rider, with another unnamed iteration of the character also showing up. Given how that Marvel TV show has yet to be confirmed as MCU canon, it seems like Gosling will be the first to do it.
On X, @marvlswolverine shared what Ryan Gosling could look like as Ghost Rider in the character’s announced MCU movie.
While the version of Ghost Rider that Gosling will be portraying in the 2028 MCU Ghost Rider movie, which was announced at San Diego Comic-Con, has yet to be revealed, the new Marvel fan art depicts Gosling as the most famous iteration of the character, aka Johnny Blaze. It helps that Gosling is the spit image of the comics’ Blaze, and he looks like he belongs with half of a fiery skull and a black leather jacket.
Based on how Marvel has dated Ghost Rider for a 2028 release, filming for the project has to start by some point in 2027 at the latest. That said, it is interesting that Marvel Studios chose to reveal that major piece of casting for what could potentially be half a year or more before production on the MCU’s Ghost Rider movie begins. The reason for that could be that Gosling’s Ghost Rider will have a secret role to play in December’s Avengers: Doomsday, which is set to feature characters from all over the live-action Marvel multiverse, as seen by the presence of Fox’s original X-Men.
Gosling’s early casting reveal could also connect to the MCU’s other team movie on the docket, 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars. After all, that Marvel movie will start filming in the next few months, and it serves as a reset for the MCU. Avengers: Secret Wars could then mark the franchise debuts of heroes that fans will be seeing more of in the MCU’s next saga, such as Gosling’s Ghost Rider and David Jonsson’s Black Panther, explaining why their castings were revealed a couple of years before their solo movies release in theaters. Marvel could be getting ahead of set leaks.
As far as the fan art goes, Gosling’s Ghost Rider will likely have the same sort of simple design presented in it if he is truly playing Johnny Blaze. Given how the character’s iconic look consists of chains and a black leather jacket, what could really differ is the way Marvel Studios designs Ghost Rider’s flaming skull, which is the most crucial detail of his look to get right. As it stands, perhaps Marvel fans will get the first look at Ryan Gosling’s Ghost Rider this year, when Avengers: Doomsday debuts, or next year, through set photos/videos or Avengers: Secret Wars.
- Release Date
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July 28, 2028
- Director
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Shawn Levy
- Writers
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Jonathan Tropper
