The MCU has been suspiciously low on flaming skulls and motorcycle vengeance demons lately—two things every universe needs in balanced proportion. But word on the Hellfire Highway is that Marvel has finally chosen someone to don the leather jacket, grip those handlebars, and scream “Vengeance is coming!” while engulfed in blue-orange CGI flames. Only problem? Marvel hasn’t confirmed anything as we only have the word of a few alleged “industry insiders” like @DanielRPK to go on.
That said, all fingers are pointing to Ryan Gosling, who has made no secret of his desire to join the MCU, and hasn’t exactly been subtle about the role he wants. In fact, he once stated he’d love to play Ghost Rider (presumably Johnny Blaze, the original), whose hobbies include making deals with devils and roasting sinners like marshmallows at a demonic bonfire.
This week, Ryan Gosling was allegedly cast in an unknown MCU role. Marvel’s response? Absolute silence. Though rumors continue to swirl that a Midnight Suns movie is coming and that Ghost Rider will lead, with Gosling as their actor of choice. And lest we forget, Gosling was confirmed to have met with Feige a while back, which sparked these rumors which have seemingly kicked up dust once again.
Of course, this is all speculation. Marvel hasn’t confirmed Gosling for anything, much less Ghost Rider. But if Marvel’s long history of casting secrecy has taught us anything, it’s that where there’s smoke, there’s usually a flaming skull on a Harley Davidson.
“But wasn’t there already a semi-MCU Ghost Rider?” – You, shouting at your screen, probably.
Yes, dear reader, there was. Two, in fact. The last time Ghost Rider popped up on screen, it was in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the show Marvel has politely ghosted like a toxic ex. There, we met Robbie Reyes, a car mechanic who got murdered by a street gang, resurrected by Johnny Blaze (whose real face and name were never shown or stated due to legal issues), and became the new Spirit of Vengeance.
But then… silence. Marvel has since done their best “it’s canon… wait, no it’s not” dance with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Robbie Reyes was left in TV limbo with a flaming headache and a broken continuity. And while Gabriel Luna crushed it in the role, the MCU seems ready to pivot back to Johnny Blaze, the OG Ghost Rider—likely to ensure that the next time we see flaming chains, it’s in Dolby Vision on a $350 million budget.
So, is Ryan Gosling our Johnny Blaze? Maybe. Is Marvel hiding something? Probably. Is this going to explode into a full-on meme war if it turns out to be someone else like Taron Egerton or, god help us, Pete Davidson? Absolutely.
Until Kevin Feige emerges from the Sanctum Sanctorum wearing shades and holding a charred motorcycle helmet, we’ll all just have to keep speculating. But if Ryan Gosling shows up to a Con with a leather jacket and a suspicious glow, don’t say we didn’t warn you.
