Avengers: Doomsday was the main attraction of Marvel’s San Diego Comic-Con panel this year, but the studio also offered some teases about what comes after the Multiverse Saga. One of the biggest announcements was the confirmation of Ryan Gosling as Ghost Rider, marking the culmination of a long journey for the actor (Gosling had been talking about his dream of playing Ghost Rider for years before the Comic-Con reveal). In Hall H, it was revealed that Shawn Levy will direct the Ghost Rider solo movie, slated to come out in 2028. But according to the latest reports, Gosling could make his Marvel debut sooner than that.
According to industry insider Jeff Sneider, Gosling’s Ghost Rider will appear in next year’s Avengers: Secret Wars before headlining his own movie. It’s also said that Gosling will be portraying Johnny Blaze, Marvel’s first Ghost Rider who was previously portrayed by Nicolas Cage in two live-action films.
Since so little is known about Avengers: Secret Wars at this point in time, fans should take any report or rumor about the film with a grain of salt. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo have confirmed that Secret Wars begins filming “soon,” so it’ll be interesting to see if an official cast announcement is made when cameras start rolling (similar to the infamous chairs livestream for Doomsday). That would be an opportunity for Marvel to clear up rumors regarding its newest additions (David Jonsson’s Black Panther is rumored to appear in Secret Wars as well), but the studio could hold back on revealing too much in an effort to preserve Doomsday spoilers.
It remains to be seen when (or if) Marvel officially confirms Gosling for Secret Wars, but it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise if he’s in the film. One of the goals of Secret Wars is to give the MCU a soft reset, streamlining the timeline so that the franchise is easier for fans to follow moving forward. With a 2028 release date locked in, Ghost Rider is set to be one of the first post-Secret Wars movies on Marvel’s slate, so introducing Gosling’s Johnny Blaze ahead of time in a massive crossover event that’s sure to garner a considerable amount of attention is a smart move. By the time Ghost Rider is gearing up for its release, audiences will already be familiar with this version of the character and (hopefully) be excited to see him return.
Assuming Ghost Rider is in Secret Wars, there’s no telling how substantial of a role he’ll play. Since he isn’t part of any established superhero teams featured in Doomsday, the safe bet would be on just a small amount of screen time to set up his future appearance in his solo movie. It seemingly would be strange if a character who never appeared in the MCU suddenly was a crucial component of the plan to stop Doctor Doom. Of course, Ghost Rider could have a larger supporting part, perhaps filling in for a hero who died during the events of Doomsday. Gosling could also just appear in a post-credits scene, but Marvel may want him to make more of an impact and have him be in the film proper.
The next MCU saga is widely expected to focus on mutants and the X-Men, but Ghost Rider could be a key player as well. Marvel wouldn’t have snagged a notable A-list, Oscar-nominated star like Ryan Gosling if they didn’t have big plans for the character. That’s why incorporating him into Secret Wars would make sense. If Ghost Rider is following Secret Wars on the schedule, having the solo movie build off of the character’s experiences in Avengers would make it feel like a natural continuation tying one saga with the next. Marvel Studios always has one eye to the future, so they’re almost certainly going to use Secret Wars to set up what comes next.
