[00:02] Ghost Rider and how he's doing this really to save Blade. I'm Eric Boss of Gosling was confirmed to be Marvel Studios Ghost Rider in a film coming in 2028 directed by Shauna Levy. We're pretty sure this will actually be a July
[00:17] 28th, 2028 movie, leaving the May 5th, 2028 window open maybe for a Marvel Studios X-Men movie that Kevin Feige will unveil at D23. But in this video, I'm going to break down everything we know about Marvel Studios Ghost Rider.
[00:30] limited statements the creative team and Kevin Feige have made to the press and cinematic history of the character to deduce why this is a character Marvel Studios and all of us need in this second half of the 2020s and why Shawn
[00:44] Levy, despite whatever your thoughts may be about him as a director, is the free guy this studio trust to execute their plan. We met so many fans in San Diego and many of them had on Nerd Riot shirts like Johnny in our new Avengers design.
[00:57] You can grab one of our great shirts and support New Rockstars directly at nerdriot.shop. And if you happen to have one of these designs, take a selfie, post it, tag us, and we will shout you out in a video. I was lucky to be in
[01:09] Feige began his Saturday panel announcing Ghost Rider. Feige talked Horwitz of the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast and then threw to Josh in the >> remember that time just a few years back? It was actually here at Comic-Con.
[01:24] >> I asked you about it. I asked you about the rumors and it was so weird. was meant to be. >> Well, I will tell you this. Just because sign. >> And the music to the punk song Ghost
[01:36] Rider played as the lights came back up to reveal Ryan Gosling on stage. In case you were curious about what Horowitz and Feige were referring to here four years ago in the press room for San Diego Comic-Con 20122 after Kevin Feige first
[01:48] Avengers 5 and six then titled the Kang Dynasty in Secret Wars. Porowitz asked lights in the room to go out. >> Hey man, Ryan wants to be Ghost Rider. Norman Reedus. So, what do you think?
[02:02] >> Well, that's a bad omen. >> That is a bad omen. Ryan doesn't want us to talk about it. >> He does want us to talk about it. He >> Ryan's amazing. I'd love to find a place in the MCU. He he he's dressed up as Ken
[02:16] on Venice Beach and gets more press than uh than a giant movie is coming out. repeatedly brought up to Feige and Gossling the Ghost Rider question like >> I spoke to Kevin Feige. You know this. You saw this. Did I help you out?
[02:30] >> A magical moment. I told Josh I'd like to play um Ghost Rider. You spoke to Kevin Feige and then >> he found Kevin Feige, corners him, says, "I would like this." All the
[02:42] says, "I would like this." All the lights go off. >> That's the power of Feige >> or the power of Aritz. >> No, I have no power. >> The combined power was just
[02:55] happen? No. >> And then last March, Josh brought it up moment to finally formally announce that you're ghost writer, Ryan? What's You you. I've done everything in my power. >> What's not working hard enough?
[03:10] >> It's my fault. >> It might be. >> Do you think it'll happen at some point? Is it still a possibility? >> We keep hope alive. >> Have you broken bread with Kevin Feige
[03:22] that discussion. >> Some discussions have been had. It's a >> situation. >> Why? Can you just tell me? Eva must hold very sore point at home. I don't want to make it awkward, but
[03:36] >> I'm just happy one of us got to do it. >> That's so sweet. Why Why is Why was is that character the one that you've mentioned to me and others in the past? >> Just a feeling.
[03:49] >> You just >> you just want to set your face on fire. >> So, that tells us that this deal was probably in the works around this time in early 2026. And I was told that the deal was finalized just in the weekend
[04:01] of July 25th, but that's really finalized as in exactly how much Gosling would be getting paid for this part. So now on the Hall H stage, Gosling said, >> "As you know, this is a character I've wanted to play for a very long time."
[04:15] So Kevin Kevin Hall H, thank you. after the panel, fee admitted that this was all Ryan Gosling's idea to introduce
[04:29] announcement. >> Thank you very much and thank you for >> Deja vu all over again. Hopefully the lights are working. what we're talking about cuz everybody sent it to me after we started talking
[04:42] and planning this out. And it was Ryan Gosling's idea. Ryan Gosling always talked about the fans. Ryan Gosling always talked about the fans doing, you know, putting his face on the Ghost Rider, putting flames onto his head. Uh,
[04:55] liked Ghost Rider and wanted to be in a movie and you asked me about it and and it it really it made it feel meant to be an authentic to him and to us, which is >> I'm truly honored. I mean, how so how far back have the discussions been
[05:10] of figuring out how to do it in the right way or or what? I mean, it's been and saying and and he's come in on a number of things over the years that didn't work out. Um, but he was never shy about saying Ghost Rider was his
[05:23] favorite. We were never shy about saying we want you to do it. It took time. He another banger and now he's got another banger coming out next year. Um, we were working on lots of things of our own. And it was his time spent with Shawn and
[05:35] understanding is Ryan talked with with Shawn about it. Ryan had a vision for loved it. They came in together, pitched it to us. We loved it, and they said we said, "Let's go." >> Now, during the panel, when announcing
[05:50] the director, Kevin Feige and Ryan Gosling said, "Only one director could having seen Star Wars Starf Fighter, which is surprisingly already completed, despite the fact that it won't come out until May 2027. And Feige said that
[06:03] was incredible and contained that special something that Deadpool probably a franchise movie under the Disney umbrella that can still make a billion dollars. And they introduced Shawn Levy. Here's what Shawn Levy said
[06:17] >> The opportunity as Ryan started talking to me about his vision for this this movie could be. And we started riffing and finally I was just like, "Bro, let's ride." So guys, we'll see you in 2028.
[06:30] reservations about Shawn Levy being the only director who could helm a reputation for producing successful IP like Deadpool and Wolverine, Stranger Things, Night of the Museum, Real Steel, and Free Guy. The kind of projects that
[06:44] please the masses, but some might say lack iconic visual flare. See, oftentimes film Twitter whenever Shawn Levy comes up, replies with this praising Taikoiti's excessive ad libing on Free Guy. Tao YT takes an already
[06:58] on Free Guy. Tao YT takes an already funny script and is ripping on a level that is freaking sublime. But I will also say that social media tends to have a bad habit of judging creators by the most liked or most hated parts of their
[07:10] past projects, knowing nothing about the actual pitch this creator brought to this particular project. Like a lot of the way VCNA was shown in the better seasons did show the demonology and horror that I would hope to see from a
[07:23] Ghostriter movie. And arguably Shawn Levy directed the last good episode of say what well-liked and less-liked elements of that show were his writing and vision. But as Kevin Feige talked about Gossling and Levy's pitch
[07:37] by this particularly good question about Ghost Rider from Chris Killian at record about one adaptation question for the character. >> Ghost Rider is super exciting. So for what will hopefully be an R-rated Ghost
[07:51] Rider, can you tell me if Ryan will be playing Johnny or Danny? Uh I am going to let uh Ryan reveal what he wants to reveal when he wants to reveal it. Uh >> Okay. >> Uh he is a huge fan of the comics. He
[08:05] did come to us particularly with a specific vision um uh based on some particular comics. Uh but I'll let him uh unveil that as he wants to. This is a great question because one, Chris did use this moment to signal to Feige that
[08:19] closer to the gnarly violence of Deadpool and Wolverine and Stranger Things than the sanitized video game action of Free Guy and Real Steel. And secondly, Feige passed on what would have been an easy confirmation of just
[08:31] be the Johnny Blaze Ghost Rider, the original Ghost Rider, the Ghost Rider Nicholas Cage played in his movies adaptations. and instead Feige just left it open and hinted that Gosling had a specific vision based on some particular
[08:46] comics. You only say that if it's not the OG version of the character. Thanks to Fandrop for sponsoring today's video. We're nerds and we love to show it off. Having a collectible on your shelf is such an easy and fun way to inject a
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[09:51] additions to any collection and great gifts for the nerds in your life. Thanks again to FanDrop for sponsoring today's video. So, what is the difference between Johnny Blaze and Danny Catch when it comes to Ghostriter? Ghostriter
[10:03] first appeared in 1972's Marvel Spotlight number five, created by Marvel editor and chief Roy Thomas, writer Gary Friedrich, and artist Mike Plug. This was a motorcycle stunt driver raised in a traveling carnival. His foster father,
[10:16] Crash Simpson, was dying of cancer, so Johnny made a deal with Satan, later retconed as Meisto, to offer his soul in exchange for Crash's life. Meisto cured the cancer, but Crash died anyway in a stunt accident. Then after this, Johnny
[10:29] was bonded to the demon Zarathos, giving him his flaming skull appearance at night whenever evil was nearby. This power was later defined to be the actual spirits of vengeance, supernatural entities that punish evil. Throughout
[10:41] over with Spider-Man and Daredevil and other Marvel characters. He was known for burning with pure hellfire that would blaze hotter than any natural flame and punished evildoers with an extension of God's justice, making him
[10:53] characters. This is the version of Ghost Rider played by Nicholas Cage in 2007's Spirit of Vengeance. Those movies had Meisto as a character played by Peter Fonda in the first film and Kieran Hines in the second. Given my history with
[11:07] Meisto theories, now that Sasha Baron Cohen is playing Mesto in the MCU as of this video expect Ryan Gosling's Ghost Rider to get his powers from this version of Meisto. This Meisto did tell Riri Williams that he had other clients,
[11:20] so there could be a connection there. But in the 1990s, Ghost Rider became a legacy character with the arrival of Danny Catch in Howard Mackey's Ghost Rider run starting in 1990. Danny Catch was a kid in Brooklyn who along with his
[11:33] gangsters. Danny flees into a junkyard and finds a motorcycle bearing a and then gains the powers of Ghost Rider. This Ghost Rider, the Danny Catch Ghost Rider, was really the definitive ghost rider of the '90s. He was the one
[11:47] who teamed up with the Midnight Suns. And he's more associated as having a he's also the ghost rider that originated the iconic flaming chain, the spiked leather jacket, and the penant stare. Like if you or your older brother
[11:59] had a ghost rider action figure on the motorcycle in the '90s, it was probably the Danny Catch one. Now, the ghost rider that many of you know and love was Robbie Reyes, introduced in comics in 2014 and in TV live action in Agents of
[12:12] An amazing arc that you should definitely go watch. And I honestly think Kevin Feige and Brad Winterbomb don't want to overwrite anything from possibility of firmly establishing those seven seasons as canon, which we should
[12:26] see them as. And so that way Robbie Reyes can someday ride again alongside Reyes's Ghost Rider established some as a sling ring portal that I hope to
[12:38] as to whether Gosling is playing Johnny Blaze or Danny Catch, the question really is, did Gosling and Levy's pitch to Kevin Feige come from Gosling's love of playing stunt driver and stunt actor in the 2024 movie The Fall Guy? Or did
[12:52] Gosling's pitch come from some place closer to his heart, someplace from the origin of his stardom? A boy who grew up in the early '9s. You know, this kid,
[13:06] you, JT. >> Well, that's good and all, but I think >> Yeah, like throw in that whole terrorist thing and maybe add some machine guns. >> Yeah, and explosions. Fiery explosions are really cool. Boom.
[13:20] >> Yes. I feel like the era of Ghostriter comics ran Gosling Red as a '90s kid was the Danny Catch era. And I think adapting this era would distinguish his Cage's run as Johnny Blaze. Because if Gosling just does another Johnny Blaze,
[13:33] he's really just going to be retreading on that same path that Cage blazed. tried to get answers from the Avengers Doomsday cast after the Marvel Hall age Gosling's ghostriter announcement, and Robert Downey Jr. had this goofy pitch.
[13:47] Robert Downey Jr. had this goofy pitch. Ryan Gosling joining the MCU. Uh yeah, guys think on that one? >> That's exciting. >> So good. >> Is there a world where he would be part
[14:00] where there could ever be a crossover? I don't know. >> I want him and Spider Noir with Nick to come back in >> and be a motorcycle with Sidecar. Huh? Nicholas Cage, not as Johnny Blae, but
[14:15] as Ben Riley from Spider Noir in a sidec car to a motorcycle driven by a different ghost rider played by Ryan Gosling. Okay, I totally felt the pain because Marvel Studios clearly wouldn't let this cast say anything about the
[14:28] movie. But I also think that both the interviewer and this cast knows the same truth. Something we saw in footage that looked like it was part of a round of leaks from ILM that were just confirmed in the trailer footage I saw in Hall H
[14:40] of Dr. Doom resurrecting Sentinels. A shot of Ghost Rider blazing through Battleworld was also among that leaked footage. We think we were never able to verify it. And I will say that a shot of a ruined cityscape that I saw in the
[14:52] Doomsday Hall age trailer, I think that was the location that we saw Ghost Rider leaked footage. Looking back on that, that might be the same Danny Catch Ghost think the reason this pitch came together so fast and really surprised
[15:07] all of us with how early Marvel Studios announced it as part of this 2028 Sun's connection with Danny Catch because a Danny Catch version of Ghost Rider opens the door to a Midnight Sun's teamup and that could solve Marvel
[15:20] Studios Blade problem. Because I also thought it was interesting how it was made this shocking admission about Blade. How much time in therapy have you spent talking about Blade? This poor project. We just need to get this done
[15:33] session? >> Yeah, I am. >> I mean, we all want it. Mherswa wants it. How are you feeling at this moment? it. How are you feeling at this moment? >> Uh, I'm feeling uh very excited that uh
[15:46] that we got Wesley back for a time in Deadpool and Wolverine and like a gigantic uh loser and failure that we didn't uh uh get off the ground with >> A gigantic loser and failure. That's an insane thing for any studio head to
[16:00] publicly call himself. even jokingly in this terrifying world of studio execs where company CEOs like to prove themselves to shareholders by laying people off. And I was also struck by Josh not asking a follow-up there, which
[16:12] recorded this Spider-Man brand new day junket interview, Josh already knew that Marvel Studios would be arranging for him to be in the press section of Hall H announcement. Though yes, I do think that the Blade solo movie starring
[16:24] Mahersa Ali was removed from the Marvel slate. But I also think they plan to introduce Mahhersa Ali's Blade as part of a team in a future film with Ghostriter, a godzling Mhersula teamup, Midnight Suns, maybe coming 2030. And I
[16:37] think this is why they see Shawn Levy as the only director who can do this job. They're not just hiring him for Ghost Rider. They're hiring him as one worldbuilding. Because obviously there are plenty of directors with horror
[16:50] roots better fitted for this IP than Shauna Levy. Sam Ramy is the one like every horror director is available Studios on this kind of project. We don't know Sam Ramy had a ghostriter
[17:02] pitch or wanted to do this. Like our man just made a love letter to Survivor in the movie Send Help. And when Sam Ramy was forced to put Venom in 2007 experience. He said he did not understand Venom as a character. Ever
[17:15] since then, I suspected Sam Ramy didn't ever really care for that era of Marvel in the early '9s when characters like Venom and Danny Catch Ghost Rider director who moves efficiently. He handles big egos. He juggles a lot of
[17:29] and he certainly plays in the MCU sandbox really well. He's the director you need if you need a ghostriter to come out on time, under budget, perform well in a late July slot, strike that balance of R-rated violence and comedy
[17:42] in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and set up a teamup franchise beyond it. And bring a '90s kid dreams or his nightmares into reality. So, let's ride. Comment down below with your thoughts
[17:54] special thanks to one of our Inart Underground subscribers, Paulo Bianca, producer level. You can get all of our exclusive bonus content by clicking the link in the description below or going to nr underground.supcast.com.
[18:07] Rockstars editors Joshua, Steven Hurd, and Abby Fel, and all of our supporting Follow me at EA Voss. Hit that subscribe button. Thanks for watching, and