Heated Rivalry star Connor Storrie is in talks to play the villain opposite Ryan Gosling in Marvel Studios’ Ghost Rider, due in theaters July 28, 2028. Here’s what we know.
Marvel’s Ghost Rider may have found its bad guy.
Connor Storrie, the breakout star of HBO Max’s Heated Rivalry, is in talks to play the villain opposite Ryan Gosling in Marvel Studios’ Ghost Rider, The Hollywood Reporter first reported Tuesday, Oct. 27. Variety, TheWrap and Deadline followed with their own reports.
The deal isn’t done yet. Every outlet says Storrie is “in talks,” and Deadline says he’s “circling” the role.
And no one has said which character he’d play. “Marvel Studios does not comment on casting,” Variety noted.
Is Ryan Gosling really playing Ghost Rider?
Yes, that part is official. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige announced Gosling onstage in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, July 25, 2026, Marvel.com reported.
“Wow, is this really happening?” Gosling said. “As you know, this is a character I’ve wanted to play for a very long time.”
Marvel has only said Gosling will play Ghost Rider. Fans expect him to play Johnny Blaze, the stunt rider from the comics, but Marvel hasn’t confirmed which version of the character he’s playing.
When does Marvel’s Ghost Rider come out?
July 28, 2028. “Marvel Studios’ Ghost Rider will arrive in theaters on July 28, 2028,” Marvel’s website says.
It’s a movie for theaters, not a Disney+ series. Filming starts in New York next year, Variety reported.
Who is making Marvel’s Ghost Rider?
Shawn Levy is directing. He’s the director of Deadpool & Wolverine, which also had a big Hall H moment.
“As Ryan started talking about his vision for this character, we started riffing,” Levy said at Comic-Con, adding, “Bro, let’s ride.” He signed off with, “We’ll see you in 2028!”
It was a homecoming of sorts for Levy. “I’m having the greatest flashback vibes here, because I was here two years ago when we showed ‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’” he said, as quoted by Variety.
Jonathan Tropper, who wrote Star Wars: Starfighter, wrote the script, Variety reported. Levy, Gosling, Feige, Louis D’Esposito and Stephen Broussard are producing. Richie Palmer and Jessie Henderson are executive producers.
Gosling and Levy already have one Disney movie on the way together. Star Wars: Starfighter, from Lucasfilm, comes out in May 2027, TheWrap noted.
Who is Connor Storrie?
Storrie plays Ilya Rozanov opposite Hudson Williams’s Shane Hollander on Heated Rivalry. The first season averaged 10.6 million viewers, TheWrap reported.
Season 2 is filming now and premieres on HBO Max in spring 2027, Variety reported. He also stars with Billie Eilish in Sarah Polley’s The Bell Jar, and he had a part in Joker: Folie a Deux.
Variety calls Ghost Rider his “second major movie role.”
Here’s what’s confirmed and what isn’t:
Confirmed: Gosling stars, Levy directs, Tropper wrote it, and it opens July 28, 2028.
Reported: Storrie is in talks to play the villain.
Unknown: which villain, and which Ghost Rider Gosling plays.
Who is Ghost Rider in Marvel Comics?
The best-known Ghost Rider is Johnny Blaze, a stunt motorcyclist who makes a deal with a demon and ends up bonded to a spirit of vengeance. When it takes over, his head turns into a flaming skull and he rides a motorcycle with wheels of fire.
Other characters have carried the name over the years, including Danny Ketch and Robbie Reyes. That’s part of why fans are curious about which version Gosling plays, and who Storrie might be playing against him.
Who played Ghost Rider before?
Nicolas Cage played Johnny Blaze in Sony’s Ghost Rider in 2007 and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance in 2012. Neither movie got good reviews, Variety noted.
Eva Mendes, Gosling’s real-life partner, co-starred in the first one, TheWrap pointed out.
On TV, Gabriel Luna played Robbie Reyes, another Ghost Rider, on ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. A Hulu series built around his character was planned, but it was scrapped in 2019.
This new movie brings the flaming-skulled hero into Marvel Studios’ own lineup for the first time.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
The Hollywood Reporter (Oct. 27, 2026), the first report on Storrie
Variety (July and Oct. 27, 2026), the casting talks, the crew and Ghost Rider history
TheWrap (Oct. 27, 2026), Storrie’s background and Gosling’s projects
Deadline (Oct. 2026), the casting report
Marvel Studios (July 25, 2026), the Comic-Con announcement and release date
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