Shawn Levy Shares Ryan Gosling Pitched Him on Directing Marvel’s ‘Ghost Rider’ in Six Minutes

Shawn Levy has established one of Hollywood’s most dynamic directing careers in recent years, seamlessly transitioning between blockbuster spectacles and more intimate character-driven narratives. His collaboration with Ryan Reynolds has yielded box office successes like ‘Free Guy’ and ‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’ but it’s his emerging partnership with Ryan Gosling that is now guiding him toward one of Marvel’s most eagerly awaited projects.

This partnership began on the set of ‘Star Wars: Starfighter,’ where Gosling not only stars but also serves as an executive producer under Levy’s direction. Amidst filming, their professional relationship evidently blossomed into something more significant, leading both to the Hall H stage at San Diego Comic-Con.

Discussing the swift development of the pitch for Marvel’s new ‘Ghost Rider’ film, Levy recounted a conversation that rapidly transitioned from concept to commitment. He recalled, “Literally six minutes into him telling me about it, I’m like, ‘Yeah, let’s go. We’re doing that,’” adding, “We walked it into Kevin Feige, and here we are,” as he shared with People.

That informal pitch session culminated in one of the biggest surprises of Marvel’s Comic-Con panel, where Kevin Feige officially announced the project and introduced Levy as the director before Gosling emerged to a thunderous crowd. Gosling will portray Johnny Blaze, the motorcycle-riding antihero known as Ghost Rider, marking his first leading role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after years of speculation about his potential involvement in the franchise.

The duo’s chemistry clearly extends beyond this singular pitch. According to Marvel’s coverage of the announcement, Levy revealed to the Hall H audience that he and Gosling spent considerable time during their downtime on the ‘Starfighter’ set envisioning ‘Ghost Rider’ and exchanging ideas, indicating that the film’s groundwork had been quietly laid long before it reached Feige’s desk.

Levy has also highlighted what makes Gosling such an effective creative collaborator beyond his acting skills. Describing their working relationship, Levy noted that Gosling operates almost as a complete author on set, paying meticulous attention to details like lighting and production design, and “noticing everything.” This trait seems to have played a crucial role in how swiftly the ‘Ghost Rider’ concept materialized.

Jonathan Tropper, who penned ‘Starfighter’ and previously co-wrote Levy’s ‘The Adam Project,’ has been brought on to write the ‘Ghost Rider’ screenplay, reinforcing a tight-knit creative circle across Levy’s recent endeavors. This overlap in collaborators suggests Marvel is relying heavily on an established creative shorthand rather than assembling an entirely new team.

‘Ghost Rider’ is currently slated for a theatrical release in 2028, placing Levy on a busy path with this project alongside ‘Starfighter,’ which is set to debut on May 28, 2027. For a character that has faced a tumultuous journey on screen, with two previous live-action adaptations failing to fully capture the comic’s cult appeal, securing an actor of Gosling’s caliber and a director fresh off a billion-dollar Marvel success feels like a significant endorsement from the studio.

Given how swiftly this collaboration came together—from a six-minute pitch to an official Hall H announcement—it’s evident that both Levy and Gosling are working with a level of creative trust that requires little persuasion to turn into action. Whether this rapid development translates into a similarly confident final product remains to be seen, but the story of its inception has already generated considerable excitement among fans as production approaches.

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