Rumors have circulated that Ryan Gosling might be on Marvel Studios' radar to play a new take on Ghost Rider for quite a while, and it looks like we may get confirmation that the Project Hail Mary star will hit the road as the MCU's Spirit of Vengeance during today's Hall H panel.
According to scooper Daniel Richtman, Gosling has been "officially cast as Ghost Rider in the MCU."
Gosling was asked about the persistent rumors during a recent interview, and admitted that "some discussions" have taken place.
"I don't know what to say. We keep hope alive. Some discussions have been had. It's a complicated situation."
Assuming this turns out to be accurate (we'll find out soon), could we see the flame-headed antihero make his debut in Avengers: Doomsday? We have heard that this was in the cards, but plans appear to have changed, and Secret Wars now seems a lot more likely.
Rumors of an MCU Ghost Rider reboot picked up steam following the release of the Disney+ Werewolf By Night Special Presentation. A Midnight Sons project is said to be in the early stages of development (we may get an official announcement today), but either way, it seems unlikely that Marvel Studios will leave Ghost Rider on the shelf for too much longer.
Several characters have held the Ghost Rider mantle in the comics over the years, including Johnny Blaze, Robbie Reyes, Danny Ketch, Alejandra Jones, Michael Badilino, and Kushala. Nicolas Cage played Blaze in two poorly-received movies, and more recently, Gabriel Luna portrayed Reyes in the now-defunct Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D TV series.
Luna was all set to reprise the role for a solo series, but the project was shelved after the Marvel Television banner was disbanded.
What do you make of this rumor? Drop us a comment down below.
Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars were hit with significant delays last year, with Doomsday now set to arrive in theaters on December 18, 2026, and Secret Wars positioned for December 17, 2027.
Both movies will be directed by the Russo brothers, who also make their MCU return after helming Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
"Universes collide and the Multiverse Saga begins its final chapter in Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday. Beloved heroes from three distinct universes will be set on a deadly collision course and ultimately face an existential threat unlike anything they’ve ever encountered. This epic film will lay the foundation for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe."
Doomsday will star:
Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Lewis Pullman as Sentry, Florence Pugh as Yelena, Danny Ramirez as Falcon, Ian McKellen as Magneto, Sebastian Stan as Bucky, Winston Duke as M’Baku, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Kelsey Grammer as Beast, James Marsden as Cyclops, Channing Tatum as Gambit, and Wyatt Russell as U.S. Agent
Along with Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, Patrick Stewart as Professor X, Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler, Letitia Wright as Black Panther, Tenoch Huerta Mejia as Namor, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as The Thing, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, and, of course, Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom.