Ryan Gosling will portray Johnny Blaze, the character known as Ghost Rider, in a new Marvel Studios film directed by Shawn Levy, with theatrical release expected in 2028. The news had been circulating as a rumor for over a year and was officially confirmed during the Marvel Studios panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego, as reported by the trade publication The Hollywood Reporter.

According to reports, the actor made a surprise appearance on the Hall H stage before approximately 7,000 attendees, joining Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. The presentation was reportedly preceded by a comedic sketch by journalist Josh Horowitz, who in previous months had publicly pressed Feige about the possible casting of Gosling.

The Ghost Rider character, created by Gary Friedrich and Mike Ploog, debuted in 1972 in issue number 5 of the Marvel Spotlight series. The comic narrative features the protagonist as a motorcycle stuntman who, after making a pact with the devil, becomes bound to the demon Zatharos, transforming into a figure with a flaming skull riding a motorcycle of fire.

Previous cinematic adaptations of the character were tied to Sony: Nicolas Cage portrayed Johnny Blaze in two films released in 2007 and 2011. On television, another version of Ghost Rider was played by Gabriel Luna in the series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

For Gosling, this marks his first role in a comic-book film. The actor recently starred in Project Hail Mary, released this year, and will join the cast of Star Wars: Starfighter scheduled for next year, confirming a trend toward large franchise productions.