Marvel Studios announced at Hall H during San Diego Comic-Con 2026 that Ryan Gosling is joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Ghost Rider — specifically as Johnny Blaze, the supernatural stunt driver who becomes the Spirit of Vengeance — in a standalone film scheduled for 2028. The casting is one of the most talked-about reveals to come out of Comic-Con this year.
Shawn Levy will direct the film. Levy’s credentials within Marvel are already established: he directed and produced Deadpool & Wolverine, which demonstrated his ability to handle large-scale action-comedies in the Marvel universe. His pairing with Gosling signals Marvel’s intent to deliver both character depth and high-octane spectacle.
Gosling and Levy are currently working together on Star Wars: Starfighter, due in theatres May 28, 2027. During downtime on that set, the two have reportedly been discussing Ghost Rider and trading ideas about how to bring the character to life on screen. The creative partnership has clearly extended beyond that project.
Ghost Rider expands what has become a quietly growing supernatural corner of the MCU. That side of the universe has taken shape through Doctor Strange, Werewolf By Night, Moon Knight, and Agatha All Along. These projects demonstrated that audiences respond to darker, horror-adjacent storytelling within the Marvel framework — and Ghost Rider’s origin fits squarely into that space.
Johnny Blaze’s story involves a stunt driver who makes a deal with demonic forces, gaining supernatural abilities but binding himself to serve darker ends. Marvel will need to balance the character’s moral complexity with the studio’s established tone, potentially creating one of the MCU’s more unconventional entries. For fans following Marvel’s recent gaming and entertainment moves, this is a natural extension of the brand into horror-action territory.
Ghost Rider has two previous live-action film adaptations, both starring Nicolas Cage — in 2007 and 2011. Those films operated outside the MCU and took a different tonal approach. This gives Marvel Studios the opportunity to reimagine the character from scratch for contemporary audiences while keeping the elements fans recognise: the flaming skull, the chain, the motorcycle, and the moral reckoning at the character’s core.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige announced the project, emphasising the studio’s focus on genre diversity and tonal range within the MCU. The Ghost Rider announcement also came alongside other Marvel reveals during the same Comic-Con panel. The film’s 2028 release target gives the production roughly two years from announcement to release — enough time for development, filming, and post-production on a major Marvel project.
Additional casting and production details are expected in the coming months. For those tracking the MCU’s evolving roster, Marvel’s entertainment output across film, TV, and games continues to broaden significantly heading into the late 2020s.