Ryan Gosling Confirmed as Ghost Rider in the MCU as Marvel Reveals New Black Panther

Marvel Studios shook the Hall H audience during San Diego Comic-Con by officially announcing that Ryan Gosling will play Johnny Blaze in a solo Ghost Rider movie, scheduled for release in 2028. The panel led by studio president Kevin Feige ended years of speculation about the star’s arrival in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and also revealed news for Black Panther 3, introducing David Jonsson as the adult son of T’Challa.

The Ghost Rider feature will be directed by Shawn Levy, the filmmaker behind the hit Deadpool & Wolverine (2024). The partnership between Levy and Gosling was forged behind the scenes of Star Wars: Starfighter, a production slated for May 2027 on which the duo worked together. Gosling, who took the stage wearing a red jacket matching the character’s new logo, said playing the flaming-skulled anti-hero had been a longtime dream.

The Spirit of Vengeance returns and transitions into the MCU

The Ghost Rider character returns to theaters after long years away from the big screen. Stunt rider Johnny Blaze made his film debut under the Sony Pictures banner in Ghost Rider (2007) and in the sequel Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011), both productions starring Nicolas Cage. In the original comics story created by Roy Thomas, Gary Friedrich and Mike Ploog in 1972, Blaze makes a pact with the demon Mephisto to save his adoptive father from cancer, ending up fused with the Spirit of Vengeance Zarathos.

After the character’s rights returned to Marvel Studios, an alternate version based on young Latino Robbie Reyes was adapted in the fourth season of the series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2016-2017), played by Gabriel Luna. As the canonicity of TV series from that period relative to the MCU’s main timeline remains uncertain, the 2028 film with Ryan Gosling marks the official and definitive introduction of Ghost Rider into Marvel’s integrated cinematic universe.

David Jonsson takes up the mantle in Black Panther 3

Besides the Gosling announcement, the panel brought news about the succession in Black Panther 3. Director Ryan Coogler took the stage alongside actors Letitia Wright (Shuri) and Winston Duke (M’Baku) to confirm the project’s return and introduce actor David Jonsson (Alien: Romulus) as the adult version of T’Challa II.

The character first appeared as a child in the post-credits scene of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), where it was revealed that he was being raised by Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) in Haiti. The sequel will follow the young man’s journey as he takes on his father’s responsibilities, with a theatrical release date set for December 15, 2028.

Marvel’s plan for the post-Secret Wars era

Adding Ghost Rider and Black Panther 3 to Marvel’s strategic calendar positions both titles as the leading bets to carry the franchise after the close of the Multiverse Saga. The studio’s current schedule holds just two major releases this year: Spider-Man: Brand New Day (July 31) and Avengers: Doomsday (December 18). This phase will culminate with Avengers: Secret Wars, slated for December 17, 2027.