Ryan Gosling Is the MCU's Ghost Rider

Of everything Marvel Studios crammed into its San Diego Comic-Con Hall H panel on Saturday, one reveal cut through the noise louder than the rest: Ryan Gosling is Ghost Rider. The character is getting a standalone MCU movie in 2028, directed by Shawn Levy, who helmed Deadpool & Wolverine. Gosling appeared at the panel in person to confirm the role.

I'll be honest: this one caught me off guard. Ghost Rider has been floating around the edges of the MCU for years, never quite making the jump from Netflix-adjacent territory into the main film slate. Casting Gosling, though, instantly signals that Marvel is treating this as a major tentpole rather than a mid-tier filler project. And pairing him with Levy, fresh off one of the MCU's biggest recent box office wins, makes the whole thing feel like Marvel is swinging hard rather than playing it safe. I'm excited about this one.

But Ghost Rider wasn't the only bombshell. The panel was stacked, and Marvel clearly saved its best material for Hall H rather than drip-feeding it through marketing cycles.

Doomsday's Roster Keeps Growing

Avengers: Doomsday dominated the panel's runtime, with the Russo Brothers introducing exclusive footage for the Hall H crowd. According to multiple reports from inside the room, the clip showed Doctor Doom on a throne, with Sue Storm describing how he was once kind before everything he loved was taken from him. The footage reportedly featured shots of Thor, Shang-Chi, Shuri, and Gambit, before Doom raised his hand and an army of comic-accurate Sentinels rose from the ground.

The cast confirmations kept stacking up. Hayley Atwell was confirmed to be reprising her role as Peggy Carter. Ryan Reynolds showed up in full Deadpool cosplay, this time wearing the grey X-Force suit, though Marvel stopped short of officially confirming Deadpool's role in the film. Reynolds, staying in character, joked: "Longtime listener, first time caller. I'm a huge fan. I'm not wearing a Doom mask over this mask because I don't want to ruin the lines of my Canadian tuxedo." Robert Downey Jr. also took the stage as Doom, telling the crowd: "Decisions will have to be made… you have to decide if you're on the side of the good guys or you may consider the alternative of joining the family of Doom."

Marvel also confirmed that Avengers: Endgame is returning to theatres on September 25 as Avengers: Endgame Encore, featuring added scenes and an exclusive first look at Doomsday footage ahead of the film's release later this year.

Separately, Ryan Coogler took the stage to announce Black Panther 3, due in theatres on December 15, 2028. David Jonsson, known for Alien: Romulus and The Long Walk, will play the son of T'Challa as the new Black Panther, with Letitia Wright's Shuri also playing a major role. Casting Jonsson feels like a smart move; he was one of the best parts of Romulus, and giving him a role this size could be the breakout moment his career has been building toward.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day also got new footage, with Jon Bernthal crashing the stage to show a clip of Punisher fighting alongside Spider-Man against the Hulk. That film arrives in theatres on July 31.

For anyone keeping score, the panel did not include any Avengers: Secret Wars information or X-Men movie details. Marvel is keeping its powder dry on both fronts, which probably means those reveals are being saved for D23 or a future event.

The Ghost Rider announcement is the one I keep coming back to, though. Gosling has the charisma to carry a solo film in a franchise that sometimes struggles to make its standalone entries feel distinct from the ensemble machine. If Levy can bring the same energy he brought to Deadpool & Wolverine, this could be one of the MCU's most interesting projects in Phase Six. The film is slated for 2028, alongside Black Panther 3.