All hell is about to break loose in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. During San Diego Comic-Con 2026, it was revealed that a Ghost Rider movie starring Ryan Gosling is officially in the works. The upcoming project will be directed by Shawn Levy, the mastermind behind Deadpool & Wolverine, and is set to hit theaters in 2028. Fans have been asking to see the Spirit of Vengeance take over the spotlight for years now, and at long last, hell's new king is coming.
Little is known about Ghost Rider's plot. After all, Disney and Marvel have their sights set on Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars—two highly ambitious superhero crossovers that will act as the culmination of the ongoing Multiverse Saga. However, we're not completely in the dark either, as a new report reveals who will be brave enough to go face-to-face with Ghost Rider. Better yet, it's a villain that needs no introduction, as audiences have already met him in a previous MCU project.
Sacha Baron Cohen will reportedly reprise his role as Mephisto in Ghost Rider
The match of the century won't be the God of Thunder facing the Ruler of Latveria but the Spirit of Vengeance rising against a literal demon. According to renowned and reliable insider Alex Perez (via The Cosmic Circus), Sacha Baron Cohen will reprise his role as Mephisto in the upcoming Ghost Rider movie.
The last time audiences saw Mephisto take over the screen was in Ironheart, a Disney+ show released back in June 2025. Since then, the iconic Marvel villain has retreated back into the shadows, and it was unclear when we would get to see him again, given that Doctor Doom is bound to steal the spotlight in the near future.
At this point, it is no secret that the Multiverse Saga has lacked a clear direction. For a time, it seemed Marvel was keen on developing its supernatural characters with shows like Moon Knight, Werewolf by Night, and Ironheart. However, the superhero giant also tried to expand its cosmic frontiers with projects like Eternals and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. In addition to that, we have the street-level characters and the ongoing multiversal arc. So, it's easy to see why characters like Mephisto had to be sidelined for the time being.
Fortunately, the MCU is not only returning to some of these forgotten storylines but also doubling down on them. Prior to the announcement that Ghost Rider is in the works, multiple reports indicated that the Spirit of Vengeance would get his own solo project and that Moon Knight and Werewolf by Night would get standalone sequels. This would pave the way for an upcoming Midnight Sons crossover, in which Mephisto would act as one of the main antagonistic forces.
Now that Ghost Rider is coming to the MCU and that we know Mephisto is likely to join him, the rumors about a possible Midnight Sons adaptation are starting to seem more real. After all, Oscar Isaac, who brings Moon Knight to life, has confirmed that there have been behind-the-scenes conversations about this anticipated crossover.
Another interesting tidbit from the original report about Mephisto's return is that Ghost Rider as a character will already be "established by the time we get to his movie." While that doesn't rule out the possibility that we'll see an origin story through flashbacks, it does indicate that the Spirit of Vengeance will already have a lot of experience under his belt. Better yet, there's a very good reason why Marvel could decide to make this creative choice.
Just like the first major X-Man was introduced in a big, popular project like Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Disney could try to do something similar with Ghost Rider. Industry scooper Jeff Sneider revealed that Ryan Gosling's debut as the Spirit of Vengeance won't happen in his solo movie, but rather in Avengers: Secret Wars. That would explain why the character will already be established once 2028 comes our way.
Now that the cat is out of the bag and we know Ghost Rider is coming our way, it shouldn't be long before we discover more about this anticipated project, including which version of the character will take over the spotlight. However, given that Robbie Reyes was introduced in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., chances are that Johnny Blaze's debut is on the horizon, and we can't wait to see how it all pans out.
Ghost Rider will be released in 2028.
Add us as a preferred source on Google