Ryan Gosling will pilot a motorbike with his head on fire in Marvel’s rebooted Ghost Rider, due out in 2028 and directed by Shawn Levy. David Jonsson’s starring role in Black Panther 3 wasn’t the only major Marvel announcement over the weekend. Here’s another one: Ryan Gosling is to star as Johnny Blaze, the avenging ... Ghost Rider | Marvel announces reboot with Ryan Gosling; no mention of Nic Cage
Ryan Gosling will pilot a motorbike with his head on fire in Marvel’s rebooted Ghost Rider, due out in 2028 and directed by Shawn Levy.
David Jonsson’s starring role in Black Panther 3 wasn’t the only major Marvel announcement over the weekend. Here’s another one: Ryan Gosling is to star as Johnny Blaze, the avenging motorcyclist with the flaming head in a new Ghost Rider movie.
Like the next Black Panther, the new Ghost Rider is scheduled to hit cinemas in 2028, with Shawn Levy set as director. As well as making the hit Deadpool & Wolverine for Marvel in 2024, Levy is currently working with Gosling on Star Wars: Starfighter, due out in May 2027.
The director and star both appeared on stage at San Diego Comic-Con to announce the project.
“Wow, is this really happening?” the actor said, per Marvel’s own website. “As you know, this is a character I’ve wanted to play for a very long time.”
He then introduced Shawn Levy, who he said was the “only” director who could make a Ghost Rider movie. Levy then explained that the collaboration began on the set of Starfighter, with Gosling talking about his ideas for the reboot.
“As Ryan started talking about his vision for this character, we started riffing,” said Levy. “And I finally said, ‘Bro, let’s ride.’ So guys, we’ll see you in 2028.”
Assuming it sticks to the schedule, the new Ghost Rider will emerge 21 years after the first attempt, in which Nicolas Cage starred as Johnny Blaze, a motorcycle stunt rider turned into a road-going grim reaper after making an ill-advised pact with the demon, Mephisto (played by the original Easy Rider, Peter Fonda).
Written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson, Ghost Rider did well enough to just about warrant a sequel, which came along in 2011: the lower-budget Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance, directed with chaotic enthusiasm by Neveldine/Taylor.
Reviews were scathing, but it turned a profit, perhaps bolstered by Cage’s unfettered performance. The actor declined to reprise the role again, however, and aside from an appearance in Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D series (where he was played by Gabriel Luna), Ghost Rider hasn’t been seen on the big screen since.
Thinking about it, Neveldine and Taylor haven’t directed a film since, either. What happened to them, we wonder?
Ghost Rider is due out in 2028 – perhaps in the spring to keep its distance from Black Panther 3, out that December. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more.
