Six minutes to yes — how Ryan Gosling got Shawn Levy to direct MCU Ghost Rider
Shawn Levy says Ryan Gosling's blink-and-you-miss-it pitch gave the MCU Ghost Rider a clear direction — and convinced him to direct in less time than you'd think.
So, Ryan Gosling has managed to pull off a bit of classic Hollywood manoeuvring — he pitched the new Ghost Rider film to director Shawn Levy so convincingly that Levy signed on in just six minutes. Not six weeks of back-and-forth, not even half an hour. Six.
During a chat with People, Levy said, 'Literally six minutes into him telling me about it, I'm like, "Yeah, let's go. We're doing that." We walked it into Kevin Feige, and here we are.'
For context: Levy, who’s already dipped his toes in Marvel with Deadpool & Wolverine, had this conversation with Gosling while they were locked in on another joint effort, Star Wars: Starfighter. Apparently, Gosling’s pitch for a Ghost Rider revival hit the right nerve, and off they went straight to Kevin Feige at Marvel Studios. The wheels started turning there and then — Marvel quickly made things official with the big announcement during their Hall H splash at San Diego Comic-Con.
Speaking about their creative process, Levy told People, 'Some actors are great muses, right? The thing about Gosling is he's a great muse, and he's inspiring, but he's also a great partner.'
This will be Gosling’s first headline role for Marvel. That’s a twist, given the years of rumblings about who’ll take over the flaming skull after Nicolas Cage. (Incidentally, Eva Mendes — Gosling’s partner — was in the first Ghost Rider film back in 2007, which is probably as close as Hollywood gets to a family heirloom.)
If you’re wondering about timings: the newly announced Ghost Rider is down on Marvel’s ever-shifting slate for 28 July 2028. Before that, you'll see the latest result of the Gosling-Levy partnership: Star Wars: Starfighter — with Gosling both starring and exec producing — hits cinemas 28 May 2027. Their working relationship's clearly got legs; Levy rates Gosling not just as an inspiring muse but, more importantly, as a genuine creative partner with actual input, rather than just ideas people nod politely at and ignore.
- Shawn Levy joined MCU directors club with Deadpool & Wolverine before landing Ghost Rider.
- Gosling has openly fancied playing Ghost Rider for years — finally getting his hands on it.
- Ghost Rider is pencilled in for cinemas 28 July 2028, and will mark Gosling’s first time headlining an MCU film.
Marvel’s gambling on a Gosling-led Ghost Rider could freshen the supernatural side of the MCU, and frankly, the ‘six-minute’ mythos now attached to this project will either become movie legend or just another odd detail brought up in future Q&As. Either way, expect more from this duo — their creative rhythm seems genuinely productive, or at least, very quick to get off the ground.