Ryan Gosling will become Ghost Rider, and T'Challa's son will get his own film: what was shown at Comic-Con

Marvel Studios at Comic-Con in San Diego officially presented “Ghost Rider” with Ryan Gosling and “Black Panther 3” with a new actor in the title role. At the same time, the first footage of “Avengers: Judgment Day” was shown.

In Hall H of San Diego on Saturday evening, the audience was already waiting for surprises from Marvel. Kevin Feige took the stage, and it quickly became clear: the conversation would not only be about upcoming releases. The hall, which can accommodate several thousand people, had already been standing in line for several hours by this time. Many came precisely for the announcements on the current phase of the cinematic universe, notes xrust.

First, they showed fragments of “Avengers: Judgment Day.” Doctor Doom clearly dominates the footage. He discards Thor and raises an army of Guardians — those same giant mutant-hunting robots from the X-Men comics. The robots look almost identical to the classic versions from paper editions. The film's release date is December 18, 2026. Warner Bros.' third installment of Dune is released on the same day. The industry has already dubbed this date “Dune Day.” For distributors, this means direct competition for screens and viewers' attention during the pre-New Year period.

After this, Ryan Gosling took the stage. He appeared during the performance of the song «Ghost Rider». The actor, according to those present, looked slightly dumbfounded and asked if all this was really happening. Then Shawn Levy, the director of Deadpool and Wolverine, joined him. Levy briefly confirmed that they discussed the project during the filming of Star Wars: Starfighter. The Ghost Rider film is scheduled for 2028, the exact date has not yet been announced. Gosling will play Johnny Blaze, a classic version of the character with a skeleton on fire and a motorcycle.

The history of film adaptations of “Ghost Rider” up to this point looked rather modest. In 2007, a film by Mark Steven Johnson starring Nicolas Cage was released. The budget was about 110 million dollars, world fees reached 229 million. Critics greeted the film lukewarmly—on Rotten Tomatoes the rating froze at 28 percent. Four years later, the sequel, Ghost Rider 2: Spirit of Vengeance, was released. Cage returned, but the box office was lower and reviews were again overwhelmingly negative. Both films remain in memory more as a curiosity of the pre-MCU era than as a full-fledged part of the franchise.

In the series «Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.» already had its own Ghost Rider — Robbie Reyes played by Gabriel Luna. This version appeared in the fourth season and gained noticeable popularity among some viewers. The new film with Gosling is dedicated to another incarnation of the character — Johnny Blaze. Marvel Studios, apparently, is going the route of a soft reboot, without directly connecting the film version with the television version.

For years before the official announcement, fans actively discussed possible candidates. Norman Reedus, Keanu Reeves, Karl Urban and Charlie Hunnam regularly appeared on the lists. Gosling also sounded, but did not always top the ratings. Now the choice is made, and this is his first major superhero role in a major franchise. Before this, the actor worked in musicals, dramas and chamber thrillers. The contrast between the image from La La Land or Drive and the fiery skull itself became a separate topic of discussion.

A little later, Ryan Coogler, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke and David Johnsson took the stage. Coogler announced Black Panther 3. Premiere: December 15, 2028. Johnsson will play T'Challa's adult son. The character appeared in the post-credits scene of Wakanda Forever. Johnsson said on stage that he wanted the screen to speak for him, and added that the honor belongs entirely to him. Coogler also revealed that the film will be shot entirely on widescreen film, a first for the MCU.

Following the death of Chadwick Boseman in 2020, the studio was faced with a difficult choice. In 2022's Wakanda Forever, the story was built around the death of T'Challa. Shuri, played by Letitia Wright, has temporarily taken on the mantle of Black Panther. In the post-credits scene, Nakia showed T'Challa's son, a boy named Toussaint, who was raised away from Wakanda. It is this character, now an adult, who now becomes the central figure of the third film. Coogler retains control of the story, and the return of Wright and Duke should provide continuity.

The Marvel film franchise has so far grossed almost $33 billion at the global box office. This is approximately 2.57 trillion rubles at the July 2026 exchange rate. Avengers: Endgame is still the second highest-grossing film of all time. Even after several weaker releases in recent years, the total remains a record for any franchise.

With Ghost Rider the situation is different. Previous films with Nicolas Cage remained in memory rather as a curiosity of the 2000s. Gosling and Levy are a combination that already worked in Deadpool and Wolverine in terms of tone. If they maintain a balance between action and dark humor, the project could take off. Immediately after the panel, there were discussions on Russian social networks about how Gosling “fits” the fiery skull. Opinions were divided approximately equally: some recalled his roles in “Drive” and “The Place Beyond the Pines,” others doubted his physical texture.

Western media reacted to the announcements generally positively. The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline noted that Gosling's appearance and Coogler's return were the highlights of the panel. Many publications have emphasized that Johnsson’s choice looks like a logical continuation of the line established in “Wakanda Forever.” The discussion was active on social networks among Western audiences: some rejoiced at the return of the classic Ghost Rider, others argued whether Gosling could escape the image of the “serious handsome guy.”

Both Coogler and Levy have already worked with Marvel Studios and have shown that the studio is ready to give directors significant freedom. Levy brought his signature tone to Deadpool and Wolverine, and Coogler now gets to shoot on film. This looks like a bet not only on the franchise, but also on the author's approach within a big blockbuster.

After Judgment Day, the next major film in the franchise, Avengers: Secret Wars, will be released in December 2027. That is, in the next two and a half years, Marvel will close the current phase and begin a new one. This is an important period for the studio: it needs to retain the interest of the audience after several projects that did not reach their previous box office heights.

There was quite a long noise in Hall H after the announcements. Not hysterical, but rather tiredly joyful — typical of Comic-Con, when people have been sitting in lines for several days. Someone started chanting Gosling's name, someone immediately started checking the dates on the calendar. The hall gradually emptied, but the conversations continued for a long time in the corridors.

Other news — “Spider-Man: New Day” is released on Friday. — New footage from Apple TV projects was also shown at Comic-Con. —Warner Bros. confirmed that Dune 3 will indeed be released on the same day as Judgment Day.

Sources: Reuters. The Hollywood Reporter

Xrust Ryan Gosling will become Ghost Rider, and T’Challa’s son will get his own film: what was shown at Comic-Con