Ryan Gosling's Ghost Rider Could Be the Fresh Start Marvel Needs
Marvel Studios has a rare opportunity ahead of it.
When Avengers: Secret Wars arrives, it won't simply conclude another chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. By all indications, it will reset the board and establish a new starting point for the franchise moving forward. That doesn't necessarily mean a complete reboot, but it does mean Marvel has an opportunity to redefine what audiences expect from the next era of the MCU.
That's why the studio's first movie afterward feels so important.
I don't think Ghost Rider is going to save the MCU. No one movie is capable of doing that. But, it does have an opportunity to restore confidence. After several years of inconsistent releases and projects that often felt like they were still trying to find their identity, Ghost Rider feels like a chance to remind audiences why they fell in love with the MCU in the first place, and the way this project reportedly came together gives me confidence before we've even seen a frame of footage.
According to early reports, Ryan Gosling has been interested in playing Ghost Rider for years. While filming Star Wars: Starfighter, he and director Shawn Levy reportedly developed an idea for the character together before bringing it directly to Marvel. Rather than assembling a director, actor, and script after deciding Ghost Rider should be the next project, Marvel appears to have been approached by two people who already had a vision they believed in.
That may not sound revolutionary, but after years of hearing about Blade cycling through directors, writers, and scripts without ever finding solid footing, it feels like a refreshing way to begin.
Whether that ultimately results in a great movie remains to be seen, but I like that the creative vision appears to have come first.
So now the obvious question becomes: Are Ryan Gosling and Shawn Levy actually the right people for Ghost Rider?
Does Shawn Levy Fit Ghost Rider?
At first glance, Shawn Levy probably isn't the first director most people would think of for Ghost Rider.
The character has always occupied a unique space within Marvel Comics. He's part horror, part action, part supernatural fantasy, and part tragedy. That combination isn't easy to balance, which is exactly why I think Levy may be a better fit than he initially appears.
The Adam Project and Deadpool & Wolverine prove he can handle blockbuster action, large-scale visual effects, and the demands of a Marvel-sized production. That's almost expected at this point.
The movie that actually gives me real confidence, though, is Real Steel.
I've always thought Real Steel was one of Levy's most underrated films because beneath all the spectacle is a surprisingly heartfelt story. Ghost Rider needs that same emotional core. Johnny Blaze isn't interesting simply because he rides a flaming motorcycle or transforms into a flaming skeleton (although that’s usually what catches people’s attention). He's interesting because of the curse he carries and the psychological burden of living with the Spirit of Vengeance.
Then there's Stranger Things.
Levy wasn't just an executive producer on the series. He also directed ten episodes across its run (two in each season), many of which remain among my favorites. More importantly, Stranger Things proves he understands how to blend horror, suspense, action, humor, and genuine emotional moments without allowing any one of those elements to overpower the others.
Ghost Rider needs exactly that kind of balance.
One other thought crossed my mind while putting this together.
Levy has now worked with Hugh Jackman on multiple projects, including Real Steel and Deadpool & Wolverine. If Marvel is serious about eventually introducing the Midnight Suns, that relationship suddenly makes a Ghost Rider and Wolverine team-up feel much more plausible than it did a week ago.
I'd still establish Ghost Rider first, but it's hard not to think ahead.
Which Ryan Gosling Are We Getting?
The other half of this equation is Ryan Gosling.
There's really no question whether he has the acting ability to pull this off. He's one of the most versatile actors working today and has been nominated for an Oscar three different times.
The bigger question is which version of Ryan Gosling we're going to get.
If I could build the ideal Ghost Rider performance, it would probably look something like this.
I'd take about 40% from Drive, Blade Runner 2049, and The Place Beyond the Pines. Those performances have the quiet confidence and restrained intensity that I think fits Johnny Blaze perfectly.
I'd borrow another 20% from his earlier work in films like Half Nelson, Blue Valentine, and Murder by Numbers. Those roles show a vulnerability and emotion with an edge that could be mighty interesting when added to the Ghost Rider role.
About 10% would come from The Fall Guy. Johnny Blaze begins as a motorcycle stunt performer, so Gosling needs enough movie-star charisma to sell that side of the character before everything changes.
The remaining 30% is the part I'm most excited about.
I don't actually want Ghost Rider to feel like another Ryan Gosling performance.
I want him to bring something entirely new.
Fear. Torment. Anguish.
Maybe even flashes of instability as Blaze struggles to coexist with the Spirit of Vengeance. That's a type of character we really haven't seen Gosling play before, and I think it has the potential to become one of the most interesting performances of his career.
The only thing I'd avoid is leaning too heavily into the self-aware comedy we've seen in films like The Nice Guys or Project Hail Mary. I love those movies, but Ghost Rider works as goofy or self-deprecating.
I think the recipe is flexible enough for a 5-10% deviation in each of these categories, but going too hard in any one risks the performance coming off as one-note or too far off from the rich source material.
Johnny Blaze, Danny Ketch, or Someone Else?
The next obvious question is which Ghost Rider Marvel is actually introducing.
Over the years there have been several Ghost Riders, including Johnny Blaze, Danny Ketch, Robbie Reyes, and others.
Personally, my money is still on Johnny Blaze.
He's the most recognizable version of the character, Marvel could use a few clear wins right now, and Blaze simply feels like the best fit for Gosling. Even Gosling's wardrobe during the announcement reminded me of classic Johnny Blaze.
Could Marvel surprise everyone?
Absolutely.
And, I wouldn’t even mind if it’s Danny Ketch, and we get the transition to the blue-fired version by the end.
But if this movie is meant to introduce audiences to the supernatural side of the MCU, I think Blaze is the right place to begin.
The Opportunity Beyond Ghost Rider
One of the reasons this announcement excites me so much goes Ghost Rider himself and into what the character represents.
For years, the MCU has largely revolved around science fiction, multiversal storytelling, and cosmic adventures. I think the reason audiences have begun to tire of superhero movies is because the movies themselves are all becoming so similar to each other.
Ghost Rider opens the door to something completely different: horror, demons, occult mythology, curses, and supernatural storytelling.
Marvel has hinted at that world before through Werewolf by Night and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but Ghost Rider naturally lives there. He doesn't feel like a visitor. He feels like one of the characters capable of anchoring that entire corner of the universe.
That naturally brings Blade back into the conversation.
Although Marvel's original plans for that movie never materialized, many of those ideas don't necessarily have to disappear. One character I'd especially love to see carried over is Lilith, whose history with Ghost Rider, Blade, Doctor Strange, and eventually the Midnight Suns makes her an ideal connective villain moving forward. She doesn't even have to be Ghost Rider's primary antagonist. Sometimes planting those seeds early is enough.
While we're talking dream casting, I still think the original Ghost Rider film got one thing absolutely right.
Sam Elliott as the Caretaker remains perfect casting in my eyes.
And since Ryan Gosling is now stepping into the role, why not have a little fun and bring Eva Mendes back as Roxanne Simpson? She played the character opposite Nicolas Cage in 2007 and is Ryan Gosling’s real-life. Seeing her reunite with Gosling following them meeting on The Place Beyond the Pines, marrying in real-life, and collaborating on Lost River (Gosling’s directorial debut) would be a truly full-circle moment for the couple.
Final Thoughts
At this point, we still know very little about the movie itself, and that's alright.
What's encouraging is that the project appears to have started with enthusiasm and passion from the people making it: an actor who has wanted the role for years, a director who reportedly developed the vision alongside him, and a story they believed in enough to bring directly to Marvel Studios.
I don't think Ghost Rider is going to single-handedly save the MCU, but I do think it has the opportunity to restore confidence in Marvel Studios' creative direction. Confidence is earned one movie at a time.
If Secret Wars truly marks the beginning of a new era, Marvel doesn't need its next film to be bigger than everything that came before. It needs audiences to leave the theater excited about where the studio is heading next.
For me, Ghost Rider feels like exactly the kind of project that could do that.
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