Nicolas Cage Gives His Blessing to Ryan Gosling's Ghost Rider
The original Johnny Blaze has spoken, and he is not mad. Just flaming.
The original Ghost Rider has weighed in on the new one. Nicolas Cage told The Hollywood Reporter that he's looking forward to seeing Ryan Gosling take over the flaming skull in Marvel Studios' Ghost Rider, and that the two actors still keep in touch (The Hollywood Reporter).
"Ryan's going to do his thing with it, and I'm looking forward to seeing it," Cage said at the premiere of his new movie, Madden, where he plays the NFL coach and broadcaster John Madden.
What did Nicolas Cage say about Ryan Gosling?
Cage kept his comments warm and generous, saying that Gosling "knows how I feel about him as an actor," and that the two have had nice conversations since the news broke. "I was happy for him and wished him best of luck on his adventures, and I look forward to seeing the movie," he added (ComicBook.com).
That's a big deal for fans, because Cage is about as attached to this character as an actor can get. He played Johnny Blaze in Ghost Rider in 2007 and again in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance a few years later, and he has talked for years about how much he loves the comics.
When is Ryan Gosling's Ghost Rider coming out?
Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige announced the movie in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con in July. Shawn Levy, who directed Deadpool & Wolverine, is behind the camera, and the movie hits theaters on July 28, 2028 (Marvel.com).
Gosling said on stage that it's "a character I've wanted to play for a very long time." Levy and Gosling first started trading ideas about the character while they worked together on Star Wars: Starfighter, which opens May 28, 2027.
Why does Cage's reaction matter?
My read is that this is the best possible way for the handoff to go. Cage's Ghost Rider movies get a lot of jokes, but his love for the character was always real, and that earnestness is a big reason people still talk about them. Hearing him cheer on Gosling makes the new movie feel like it carries that same fan energy forward. (Somewhere, a very excited motorcycle is warming up.)
Madden arrives on Prime Video on November 18, so there's plenty more Cage on the way before Gosling's version shows up.
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Are you excited for Ryan Gosling's Ghost Rider? Tell us in the comments.
