We got a heads-up that Ryan Gosling would be announced as the MCU's Ghost Rider before Marvel Studios' SDCC panel yesterday, and sure enough, the Project Hail Mary star took the stage at Hall H to make the news official.
Gosling will play the flame-headed Spirit of Vengeance in a new solo Ghost Rider project from director Shawn Levy (Deadpool and Wolverine, Star Wars: Starfighter), and the movie will ride into theaters in 2028. Starfighter writer Jonathan Tropper has been enlisted to pen the script.
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.
THR's report on Gosling's casting mentions that he will play Blaze, but this was not disclosed at SDCC, and Kevin Feige declined to clarify which version of the character will be introduced in the movie during a post-panel interview.
“I am going to let Ryan reveal what he wants to reveal, when he wants to reveal it, and what he wanted to reveal today is…he’s playing Ghost Rider. He is a huge fan of the comics; he did come to us particularly with a specific vision, based on some particular comics.”
Since Blaze and Reyes have already been brought to life by other actors, there is a chance Gosling will play an older take on Ketch, who was introduced in the '90s as the third character to ride the highways as Ghost Rider. Then again, Gosling has spoken about his love for the character on several occasions, and definitely seemed to be referring to Blaze's comic book adventures when explaining what drew him to the antihero.
Whichever name Gosling's Ghost Rider ends up going by, we don't expect a direct adaptation of any one comic book origin.
Check out some new and previously released fan art depicting Gosling as the Spirit of Vengeance below.