Marvel Studios' Ghost Rider is finally happening, and there's plenty to be excited about

Marvel Studios finally granted something fans were wishing for a long time, a Ghost Rider movie. Moreover, this time, the Hell King will be played by none other than Ryan Gosling, who has been a popular choice for the character. This news was confirmed at SDCC Hall H during Marvel Studios' presentation. As of now, we don't know which version of Rider Gosling is playing, but fans believe that he is playing Johnny Blaze.

If you remember, Johnny Blaze was previously played by Nicolas Cage in the 2007 solo movie, which also starred Ryan Gosling's wife, Eva Mendes. The upcoming movie marks the return of Johnny Blaze after the 2012 sequel, which was headlined by Cage again, but Eva Mendes did not return.

What do we know about the MCU Ghost Rider?

Kevin Feige confirmed at the Hall H stage that Ryan Gosling is playing the fan-favorite Marvel character. Simultaneously, they confirmed that Shawn Levy would be returning to the MCU to direct the Ghost Rider movie after 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine. Taking the stage, Levy said:

“I’m having the greatest flashback vibes here, because I was here two years ago when we showed ‘Deadpool & Wolverine'. I’ll never forget that night, because I was introduced to the greatest fans. Gosling is the absolute s**t. I say that with tremendous respect. We spent a lot of time last year making ‘Starfighter,’ and the opportunity as Ryan started talking about this character, I was like, ‘Bro, let’s ride.’ We’ll see you in 2028!”

Thus, based on what Levy said, the Marvel project would be releasing sometime in two years, after the Marvel Cinematic Universe continuity is probably reset by Avengers: Secret Wars. Apart from Gosling, we don't know who else will appear in the 2028 Marvel project.

What does Gosling's casting mean for the Gabriel Luna version?

Gabriel Luna as Robbie Reyes/Ghost Rider | Image Via: Instagram/@iamgabrielluna

Even though fans look back at Cage's time as Blaze fondly, they don't share the same love for the movies. In fact, it was Gabriel Luna's turn as the Robbie Reyes incarnation of Ghost Rider in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. that turned things around for the character. To this day, many fans were hoping for Luna's return in the MCU for a long time.

Gosling's casting means that as of now, Marvel is going ahead with either the Johnny Blaze or Danny Ketch incarnations. Therefore, it looks like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fans who were waiting for Gabriel Luna's return as Robbie Reyes have to wait for a while.

Luna, for his part, has expressed a desire to return to the Marvel role multiple times, including last October in an interview with Comicbook.com. In that interview, The Last of Us actor told the interviewer that he hasn't aged that drastically since his debut as Robbie Reyes in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. a decade ago. However, his return has not been confirmed yet, much to the disappointment of the fans.

However, some are still holding on to hope that Marvel is building towards a team-up between Gosling's version of the character and Gabriel Luna's Robbie Reyes.

Are you looking for Ryan Gosling's turn as the Ghost Rider? Let us know.