Ryan Gosling Reveals He’s Had Talks About Playing ‘Ghost Rider’!

The thing about the MCU is that they tend to hit home run balls all day when it comes to casting.

On Happy Sad Confused, Oscar-nominated actor Ryan Gosling discussed his new film Project Hail Mary and revealed he’s had genuine talks with Marvel about playing Ghost Rider in the MCU.

“Keep hope alive,” he said when asked if he’s been cast. “Some discussions have been had. It’s a complicated situation.”

Ghost Rider first appeared in Marvel Spotlight #5 (1972). Stunt motorcyclist Johnny Blaze makes a deal with the demon Mephisto to save his adoptive father. The deal binds him to the demon Zarathos, transforming him into Ghost Rider, a supernatural being who punishes the guilty with the “Penance Stare.”

Marvel’s Ghost Rider has appeared in two films to date: Ghost Rider (2007) and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011), both starring Nicolas Cage as stunt rider Johnny Blaze, who sells his soul to become a demon-hunting antihero. The first film, directed by Mark Steven Johnson and co-starring Eva Mendes and Wes Bentley, was a commercial success with about $228 million worldwide. The sequel, directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor and featuring Idris Elba, earned roughly $132 million globally.