San Diego Comic-Con was last week, and all sorts of thrilling information was released regarding upcoming Marvel movies. One of these exciting updates was the reveal that Ryan Gosling has been cast as Ghost Rider and is getting his own solo movie directed by Deadpool & Wolverine filmmaker Shawn Levy. And Robert Downey Jr. has a funny idea for that project that I'm actually sold on.
Eva Mendes approves of Ryan Gosling's casting as Ghost Rider, and fans who have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order are curious about what the MCU version of the supernatural hero will be like. While speaking with EW at Comic-Con, RDDJ offered a hilarious suggestion for what he'd like to see from Ghost Rider. In the Oscar-winning actor's words:
I want him and Spider-Noir with Nic to come back in, and be a motorcycle and sidecar.
Take my money. Nicolas Cage famously played Ghost Rider in two movies starting in 2007, and there are likely going to be plenty of comparisons when Ryan Gosling's version of the Marvel hero debuts on the big screen. So why not have them cross over in such a silly way... even if he shows up as Spider-Noir? I doubt that the famous Hell Cycle has ever been given a sidecar. We could make history, people!
While Robert Downey Jr. is joking, the fact that Shawn Levy is behind the camera for the Ghost Rider movie has fans wondering about the developing project's tone. Deadpool & Wolverine was full of irreverent humor, so will he carry that through? Or will Ryan Gosling's long-awaited Marvel debut be more accurate to the comics? Only time will tell.
Downey referenced Nicolas Cage playing the title character of Spider-Noir over on Amazon. That project secured 11 Emmy nominations, with the actor playing his second Marvel hero. Although some folks are still hoping he'll play Ghost Rider again sometime in the multiverse.
Multiple characters have taken the mantle of Ghost Rider in the comics, as well as TV/film. The original is Johnny Blaze, who sells his soul to Satan aka Mephisto in order to save his foster father's life. In exchange, he's given some terrifying and badass powers, including Hellfire, teleportation, and both the Hell Cycle and his signature weapon, the Hellfire chain. While he's a good guy, Ghost Rider is usually a pretty terrifying presence thanks to his appearance and abilities.
Aside from Nicolas Cage's pair of movies as Johnny Blaze, the Robbie Reyes version of the hero appeared in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 4. But none of them have had a cute sidecar on the Hell Cycle. We'll have to see if RDJ's idea gets to Shawn Levy's desk sometime in the future.
Ghost Rider is currently expected to come out sometime in 2028. The next Marvel movie hitting theaters is Avengers: Doomsday on December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list.
