Doctor Strange 3 will reportedly feature the MCU debut we've all been waiting for

There are a lot of exciting sequels on the horizon for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Even though Marvel Studios has yet to be upfront about when they are coming, they are known to be in development. And that's not even taking into account the already confirmed Avengers movies, which will no doubt change the game for both the MCU and the Multiverse Saga.

We also know there is a Captain America sequel coming up, but there is also Shang-Chi 2, Thor 5, and Doctor Strange 3 to look forward to. The first two have been all but confirmed while the third is extremely likely to happen too, with insiders reporting that it has been in development since the overwhelming success of 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

It's expected that the third Doctor Strange movie will also play an important part in the saga due to its possible reliance on magic, and now a new report claims it will feature one of Marvel's most beloved supernatural characters.

Ghost Rider rumored to appear in Doctor Strange 3

According to a new report from Marvel scooper account Marvel News, Ghost Rider will appear in Doctor Strange 3. Though it doesn't specify what kind of role the character might play, it is worth noting as this isn't the first time that an appearance from Ghost Rider has come up in conversations about the Multiverse Saga.

Over the past two years, there have been rumors that the Spirit of Vengeance would make his presence felt at some point in the MCU's near-future, but they have ramped up significantly in recent months. One of the reasons for that is is that one of the multiple projects that Marvel Studios is expected to announce in the coming months is that long-awaited (and long-rumored) Midnight Sons project, which would likely feature the character in a significant capacity. One rumor even claims that the film would be called Ghost Rider and the Midnight Sons.

At this point in time, Ghost Rider is one of the most popular Marvel Comics characters to have not yet appeared in the MCU. It was previously thought that he had appeared in the franchise, as Gabriel Luna played a version of the motorcycle-ridin' hellraiser in offshoot TV series Marvel's Agents of SHIELD, but that show appears to have been retroactively written out of the MCU's continuity as it wasn't directly produced by Marvel Studios.

As for who could play him in the MCU, the obvious answer seems to be Ryan Gosling. The La La Land star has made it clear over the years that he is the one character he'd love to play in the MCU, and Kevin Feige has even acknowledged this, adding that he would love to have him in the franchise. Recent rumors have suggested that he has indeed been cast and that the announcement will come at Disney's D23 event when Marvel makes some major announcements about the franchise.

It's a feasible possibility and one that fans would love to see. Gosling has been on the roll of his career, after his Oscar-nominated performance as Ken in Barbie, so it would definitely be the right time for him to join the Marvel machine and make his presence felt on the MCU. If Ghost Rider is indeed that role, he might get the chance to debut in Doctor Strange 3.

A number of reports have suggested that there will be more of a focus on the more supernatural elements of the MCU, including magic itself, and that would pave the way for projects such as Midnight Sons. With Doctor Doom now stepping forward as the MCU's new Big Bad, and Benedict Cumberbatch expected to play a major role in Avengers: Doomsday (he's already confirmed that he will appear in it), that may well be the case. The question is: Could that appearance set up his next solo movie, and will that allow for the introduction of Ghost Rider?

When we last caught up with Stephen Strange, he was attempting to fix an incursion that he apparently caused (as he was informed by Clea, played by Charlize Theron). He was also fresh off a gruelling magic showdown with the Scarlet Witch, so all eyes are on his third film to see who could appear in it, and how pivotal it will be to the franchise going forward. If it includes Ghost Rider, it's safe to say it will be very pivotal. Very pivotal indeed.