Ghost Rider returns: New movie starring Ryan Gosling – Director already confirmed

What a surprise: There's going to be a new "Ghost Rider." And the lead actor has already been cast: Hollywood star Ryan Gosling will take on the role of the Marvel hero, as announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2026. But that's not all. A director has already been named: Shawn Levy. We'll have to wait for an exact release date, but the release year has also been announced: it's set for 2028.

During the Marvel panel at Comic-Con, Gosling didn't miss the chance to take the stage himself. As expected, this sparked cheers from the fans in the audience. He told them:

"As you know, this is a character I've wanted to play for a very long time."

Not just Ghost Rider: Ryan Gosling is also filming Star Wars with Shawn Levy

There had been speculation for some time that Gosling was eyeing the role of Ghost Rider. What were previously just rumors, however, has now become a dream come true for many fans.

But the new Marvel movie isn't the only major franchise project Gosling is currently tackling. Nor is it the only one he's filming with Shawn Levy. Under Levy's direction, Gosling is also playing the lead role in "Star Wars: Starfighter." The new big-screen adventure from a galaxy far, far away hits theaters on May 28, 2027.

Ryan Gosling follows in the footsteps of Nicolas Cage

As for "Ghost Rider," Gosling is taking on the role of a decades-old comic book hero. He first appeared in August 1972 in issue #5 of the "Marvel Spotlight" series. The popular Marvel character is stunt rider Johnny Blaze, who makes a pact with the devil. This transforms him into the motorcycle-riding being with a flaming skull.

Gosling won't be the first to play the character on the big screen. Back in 2007, Nicolas Cage starred as Johnny Blaze, aka Ghost Rider, in a film directed and written by Mark Steven Johnson. Alongside Cage, the cast included Eva Mendes, Wes Bentley, Sam Elliott, Donal Logue, and Peter Fonda. With a budget of about $110 million, the film grossed $228 million at the global box office – so its success was limited given the expenses.

Further appearances by Ghost Rider

Nevertheless, another film adaptation starring Cage followed. In "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance"(2011), he once again took on the role of the Marvel hero. There was a change in the director's chair, however: This time, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor were responsible for directing. The screenplay was written by Scott M. Gimple, Seth Hoffman, and David S. Goyer. The cast included Ciarán Hinds, Violante Placido, Johnny Whitworth, Christopher Lambert, and Idris Elba. With a budget of 57 million, "Spirit of Vengeance" was significantly cheaper than its predecessor. However, its worldwide box office take of 132 million was also less than impressive.

Ghost Rider made a comeback five years later in "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." In the Marvel TV series, Gabriel Luna portrayed Ghost Rider for several episodes, though he played Robbie Reyes, a different incarnation of the hero.

With Gosling, Marvel has now pulled off a major coup. The actor enjoys immense popularity and, most recently as the lead in "Project Hail Mary," has once again proven just how much of a draw his name is at the box office. The science-fiction blockbuster directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller proved to be a hit. The film grossed $684 million worldwide. It remains to be seen whether Gosling will also bring in the cash as Ghost Rider. In any case, we're already looking forward to his performance as the fiery Marvel hero.