According to the latest reports, Ryan Gosling may be the new Ghost Rider in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and the fires of anticipation are bubbling up more than ever. So while there has been no official confirmation, the rumors of Hollywood and Gosling fans and Gosling himself stopping have gone through the rumors, giving rise to so much hype.
Now it seems that Ryan Gosling of The Notebook, Drive, and La La Land fame, has expressed interest in playing the original Ghost Rider – Johnny Blaze. Fans were floored by this reveal, and that moment really epitomizes the twisted spirit of vengeance that defines the tormented antihero that is Spawn.
Debuting in the pages of Marvel Spotlight in 1972, Ghost Rider is a title entrenched in dark mythology. When Roy Thomas, Gary Friedrich and Mike Ploog created the character most often associated with the flaming skull, Johnny Blaze, he was a stuntman cursed to a demonic entity. Blaze was also portrayed by Nicolas Cage in two non-MCU films, but the character was never fully realized within a larger cinematic universe.
Ryan Gosling has officially been cast as Ghost Rider in the MCU pic.twitter.com/AQXqbzhnRd
— Pubity (@pubity) June 19, 2024
For years and years, Marvel has been dancing around the concept of a Ghost Rider project, originally centering its endeavors around MCU television adaptations. But the recent events and the cryptic LLC the studio recently filed for that makes mention of a streaming series introduction a new Ghost Rider, Danny Ketch, all point to the studio rekindling that bonfire. If Marvel manages to wrangle a talent as high-profile as Gosling to helm the character, it could help expand the character’s thematic depth and broaden his impact on the greater MCU story in wonderfully exciting ways.
If finalized, Gosling’s casting would be an exciting, if a slightly unexpected, choice to inject new life and dimension into the Ghost Rider. So much comic history to pull from yet to be seen on the big screen, and here we have a tormented soul that could turn from hero to villain overnight. Ghost Rider is still a fan favorite, but Gosling’s immense range could also pave the way for a host of other exciting inclusions in the MCU. Would his be brooding Ka-Zar, cosmic herald Silver Surfer, enigmatic Quasar, villainous Norman Osborn, cosmic powerhouse Nova or the laser-eyed leader Cyclops? Only time will tell.
The thought of Gosling brandishing the hellfire chain has made the fan base wild. Fan art is cropping up all over social media showing the actor’s smoldering eyes underneath the well-known flaming cranium. The rumors keep coming, with even Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige suggesting that Gosling might work well within the MCU, adding fuel to the fires of speculation.
Casting, however, is where the fun doesn’t end! The rumormongering about how this very different Ghost Rider would or could fold into the greater MCU fabric is only just beginning. There are even rumors of a Midnight Sons movie, uniting supernatural heroes like Ghost Rider, Blade and Doctor Strange, which adds a fourth layer of interest.
