Marvel Studios confirms ‘Ghost Rider’ starring Ryan Gosling. Directed by Shawn Levy, the film will arrive in cinemas in July 2028.
After years of rumours surrounding his possible arrival in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ryan Gosling finally has both a character and a release date. The actor will play the new Ghost Rider in the film Marvel Studios is preparing to bring the Spirit of Vengeance back to the big screen.
Following the announcements made at D23, Disney confirmed that ‘Ghost Rider’ will be released in cinemas on 28 July 2028, making it one of Marvel’s major theatrical projects for that year.
The film will be directed by Shawn Levy, the filmmaker behind ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’, with Jonathan Tropper writing the screenplay. Gosling will therefore take on a character that cinema audiences inevitably associate with Nicolas Cage, who played Johnny Blaze in the two films released in 2007 and 2011.
- A huge 2028 for Marvel
Ryan Gosling’s debut as Ghost Rider will form part of an especially ambitious year for Marvel Studios. Before that, the new ‘X-Men’ film is scheduled to arrive on 5 May 2028, while ‘Black Panther 3’ will bring the year to a close on 15 December.
Casting Gosling also represents a major move for a character that has been waiting years for another opportunity on the big screen. The actor has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to move between huge commercial productions and far more unconventional roles, making the prospect of seeing him become one of Marvel Comics’ most recognisable supernatural antiheroes particularly intriguing for the future of the MCU.
- Ryan Gosling takes over from Nicolas Cage
Ghost Rider has one of the most instantly recognisable looks in the Marvel universe: a motorcycle, chains, leather and a skull engulfed in flames. Nicolas Cage brought the character to cinemas long before the current MCU became the global phenomenon it is today, and his performance ultimately developed something of a cult following among a generation of fans.
Now it will be Gosling’s turn to make the Spirit of Vengeance his own, under Levy’s direction. For the moment, Marvel is keeping most details about the story under wraps, meaning audiences will have to wait to discover which incarnation of Ghost Rider Gosling will play and which other characters will join him.
The supernatural side of Marvel offers considerable possibilities for the studio. Ghost Rider occupies a particularly distinctive corner of the comics, where superheroes intersect with horror, demons and the occult. His arrival could therefore open the door to a darker branch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, while potentially connecting him with other characters associated with its supernatural mythology.
One thing, however, is already clear: the Spirit of Vengeance has a date for his return. ‘Ghost Rider’, starring Ryan Gosling, will hit cinemas on 28 July 2028.
