Marvel Studios revealed Ryan Gosling as the next Ghost Rider and David Jonsson as the new Black Panther in two casting bombshells at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday
Gosling, 45, the three-time Oscar nominee known for “Barbie” and “La La Land,” will join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a standalone “Ghost Rider” movie, which is scheduled to be released in 2028.
“As you know, this is a character I’ve wanted to play for a long time,” Gosling told the crowd after being unveiled as Ghost Rider to thunderous cheers inside Hall H.
The “Ghost Rider” film reunites Gosling with director Shawn Levy and writer Jonathan Tropper after the upcoming “Star Wars: Starfighter.”
Levy, who also directed the blockbuster “Deadpool & Wolverine,” told fans, “I’m having the greatest flashback vibes here, because I was here two years ago when we showed ‘Deadpool & Wolverine.’
“Gosling is the absolute s—. I say that with tremendous respect. We spent a lot of time last year making ‘Starfighter,’ and the opportunity as Ryan started talking about this character, I was like, ‘Bro let’s ride.’ We’ll see you in 2028!”
Nicolas Cage, 62, famously played motorcycle stuntman Johnny Blaze in 2007’s “Ghost Rider” before returning for 2011’s “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.”
Gosling’s longtime partner, Eva Mendes, 52, starred opposite Cage in the original movie as Roxanne Simpson but did not return for the sequel. It’s not yet known whether she’ll reprise the role.
Meanwhile, Jonsson, 32, the breakout star of “Alien: Romulus,” will play an adult version of T’Challa’s son and inherit the Black Panther mantle in “Black Panther 3.”
Director Ryan Coogler revealed the sequel will hit theaters Dec. 15, 2028.
“Thank you to this amazing family that I have the honor and privilege and the blessing to join,” Jonsson said from the stage, drawing Wakanda chants from the crowd.
The character was introduced in the closing moments of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” which revealed that the late Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa had a young son with Nakia, played by Lupita Nyong’o.
Boseman, who was set to reprise his role in a planned sequel before his death, died in 2020 at age 43 after a private battle with colon cancer.
Meanwhile, Ryan Reynolds, 49, sparked fresh speculation about his Marvel future when he popped up in the Comic-Con crowd as the star-studded cast of “Avengers: Doomsday” was onstage, wearing Deadpool’s gray suit from the X-Force comics.
Although Reynolds has not been announced for “Avengers: Doomsday,” he joked that his name was Ricky and that he was “cosplaying hard,” adding fuel to rumors that Deadpool could appear in the upcoming Marvel blockbuster.
