Quick summary
- Gabriel Luna, who played Ghost Rider on Agents of SHIELD, told Polygon he would return “if they call”.
- Ryan Gosling leads Marvel Studios’ new Ghost Rider film, announced at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con.
- The film is slated for cinemas on July 28, 2028, with Shawn Levy named as director.
- Marvel has not said which version of the character Gosling will play. Johnny Blaze is reportedly the choice.
Marvel’s flaming-skull hero has a new face, and one of the old ones says he is happy to share the road. In an interview published this week, Polygon reports that Gabriel Luna would ride alongside the Ryan Gosling Ghost Rider if Marvel Studios asked him, ahead of the studio’s 2028 reboot.
What Gabriel Luna said about the Ryan Gosling Ghost Rider reboot
Luna spoke to Polygon while promoting Dexter: Resurrection season 2. Asked how he felt when Marvel announced the new film at San Diego Comic-Con, he said he was excited and thought it would be “pretty awesome”. He added that he likes Levy, the director attached to the project.
The actor has been asked about a return for roughly a decade. He told Polygon that fans’ persistence had worn him down, and that he stays open to the idea. His one condition is story. If there is a reason for his character to ride beside Gosling’s, he said, he will do it. Otherwise he plans to enjoy watching the character continue.
Which Ghost Rider will Gosling play?
Marvel has not confirmed it. Polygon notes that Johnny Blaze is reportedly the version Gosling will take on, the same man Nicolas Cage played in 2007’s Ghost Rider and its 2012 sequel, Spirit of Vengeance.
Luna says he has no inside information. He admitted he hopes for Danny Ketch instead, and said he intends to be “front row” when the film arrives. That is a fan’s wish, not a report, and nothing in the coverage suggests Marvel has settled the question publicly.
A crowded line of flaming skulls
Gosling will be at least the fourth actor to play a Ghost Rider in live action, according to Polygon. The list so far:
- Cage, as Blaze, in both earlier films.
- Sam Elliott, as Carter Slade, in the 2007 film.
- Luna, as Robbie Reyes, in season four of Agents of SHIELD, which aired on ABC in 2016 and 2017.
Reyes was the fifth character to carry the Ghost Rider name in the comics and first appeared in All-New Ghost Rider in 2014. Two other actors from that series, Clark Gregg and Henry Simmons, were also briefly possessed by the Spirit of Vengeance in the show, Polygon points out.
Gosling’s momentum going in
The reboot arrives with its lead at a high point. No Film School describes him as one of the biggest movie stars working, citing The Notebook, Drive, La La Land, Barbie and Project Hail Mary among his best-known titles. The same outlet this week ran a ranked list of his underrated performances, with Lars and the Real Girl and Only God Forgives among the picks.
It is a reminder that Gosling has often chosen odd, risky material. A superhero built on vengeance and a burning skull fits that pattern more than it might first appear, though that is our reading and not Marvel’s.
For more of our coverage, see the full Ryan Gosling archive, our look at his career from The Notebook to Barbie and the latest in the Movies section.
What happens next
Marvel Studios’ Ghost Rider is scheduled for July 28, 2028. Neither Marvel nor Luna has announced a role for Robbie Reyes in the film, and Luna himself says no call has come. Watch for casting news and confirmation of which Ghost Rider Gosling will play.
Frequently asked questions
When is the new Ghost Rider movie out?
Marvel Studios has set a cinema release date of July 28, 2028, according to Polygon.
Who is starring in the Marvel Ghost Rider reboot?
Ryan Gosling leads the film, which was announced at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. Shawn Levy is the director Luna referred to in his interview.
Will Gabriel Luna return as Ghost Rider?
Not yet confirmed. Luna told Polygon he would do it “if they call”, provided the story gives Robbie Reyes a reason to appear.
