Nicholas Vlahos
PublishedJuly 27, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Quick Facts
- Comic-Con 2026 has wrapped up
- Though sneakers were not present, there were some notable moments that went down over the weekend
- Check out our favorite moments from Comic-Con 2026
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Although sneakers have definitely had some highlight moments at Comic-Con over the years, including a preview of the Yu-Gi-Oh! x Nike collab in 2025, we didn’t really get any footwear reveals at this year’s event. Still, there were plenty of announcements and moments that went down in San Diego this past weekend worth mentioning.
Ryan Gosling Will Star as Ghost Rider in the MCU
The man who can make millions online switch their personalities based on his latest role and causes comment sections to be filled with “literally me,” Ryan Gosling, is finally entering the MCU. He may have gained popularity early in his career in romantic comedies and dramas like The Notebook and Crazy, Stupid, Love, but Gosling has taken on a wider range of roles in the last decade, including Drive, Blade Runner 2049, The Nice Guys (criminally underrated by the way), and more recently Project Hail Mary.
Now, director Shawn Levy, who is also directing Gosling in the highly anticipated Star Wars: Starfighter,will help bring his dreams of playing Ghost Rider to life. Ryan previously mentioned his dream to play the role of Ghost Rider during the press run of The Gray Man in 2022, and Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, said, “Hey man, if Ryan wants to be Ghost Rider… Gosling’s unbelievable. Ryan is amazing…I’d love to find a place for him in the MCU.”
Fun fact: Gosling’s wife, Eva Mendes, starred in the original Ghost Rider films (you know, the ones with Nicholas Cage), making this a full circle moment for the couple who met on the set of The Place Beyond The Pines where Gosling also played a character with a motorcycle.
Ryan Coogler Announces Black Panther 3
Director Ryan Coogler is returning to the MCU to direct Black Panther III.The unfortunate passing of Chadwick Boseman in 2020 altered the plans for the Black Panther franchise. The sequel film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, focused on T’Challa’s sister Shuri, who becomes Black Panther, but there is finally confirmation of a third film in the franchise, which will focus on T’Challa II, played by David Jonsson. Ryan will also shoot part of the movie on actual film, including IMAX 15/70MM
If the public wasn’t aware of Coogler, they sure were after the release of Sinners in 2025. The story became the most nominated film in Oscars history with 16. It ended up taking home four, including Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan, Best Original Screenplay for Coogler, Best Cinematography for Autumn Durald Arkapaw, and Best Original Score for Ludwig Göransson. Shortly after, Ryan was announced as the director of a reboot of the X-Files franchise, so it’s interesting to see him return to the MCU, considering the leverage he has after Sinners.
Ryan Reynolds Appears in Grey Deadpool Outfit in Hall H
A third Ryan has entered the halls of San Diego Comic-Con, with Ryan Reynolds surprising everyone as he went undercover in full Deadpool cosplay. Well, is it really considered cosplay if he actually plays the character?
Those in attendance may have seen a blue denim-covered Deadpool, which Reynolds later called “Jeanpool” on his Instagram story, wandering around the convention. Some stopped to take photos with the character, but all were unaware that it was actually the action star beneath the costume. He then entered Hall H during Marvel’s panel discussing Avengers: Doomsday and was called upon by Kevin Feige. Reynolds channeled the character with his sarcastic humor by indirectly asking to be in the latest Avengers film: “So there’s no additional photography, no overages, no last-minute additions?”
Hopefully, Reynolds gets his wish granted and appears in Doomsday or any of the follow-up Avengers films. However, Deadpool fans can expect to see more from the franchise in the future.
Robert Downey Jr. Reveals His Victor von Doom Voice
When the news broke two years ago that Robert Downey Jr. would return to the MCU after (spoiler alert) Iron Man died during the final battle against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame,it shocked fans to hear it would be as a new character, Victor von Doom. Dr. Doom is well-known to fans of The Fantastic Four and sneakerheads, but we only recently got a glimpse of RDJ as the character in the new trailer for Doomsday. Before Ryan Reynolds interrupted the panel in Hall H, Downey spoke briefly in his Dr. Doom voice, revealing his Eastern European accent that is vital to represent the character.
Marvel hasn’t explicitly stated how the characters in universe will see Doom. Obviously, he will look like Tony Stark since he’s the same actor, but they can easily explain the resemblance due to the multiverse.
Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. When not writing for Sole Retriever, I enjoy watching films and discovering music. Follow me on Letterboxd @nickvlah
For tips, reviews, or any shoes in a size 13, email nick@soleretriever.com
