Ryan Gosling is set to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the iconic Ghost Rider, Marvel Studios announced Saturday during a surprise appearance at San Diego Comic-Con.
Gosling expressed his long-held desire to play the character, stating on stage, "Wow, is this really happening?" He had previously confirmed in March that he was in discussions with Marvel about the role.
The upcoming film, scheduled for release in 2028, will be the third cinematic iteration of the motorcycle-riding anti-hero. The character's origin story centers on Johnny Blaze, a stuntman who makes a deal with the villain Mephisto to save his surrogate father. This pact binds him to the Spirit of Vengeance, Zarathos, granting him supernatural powers.
Shawn Levy, who recently directed "Deadpool & Wolverine" in the MCU, will direct the Ghost Rider film. Gosling described Levy as the "only" director for the project, noting that they had discussed ideas for the character while working together on the upcoming "Star Wars: Starfighter."
"As Ryan started talking about his vision for this character, we started riffing, and I finally said, 'bro, let's ride', so guys, we'll see you in 2028," Levy told the Comic-Con crowd.