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Who is Ghost Rider in Marvel? Johnny Blaze’s origin, powers, and comic book history explained ahead of Ryan Gosling’s movie
Ryan Gosling will be playing the Spirit of Vengeance himself, Johnny Blaze, in the MCU’s Ghost Rider movie
GuidesbyJules Chin Greene, Staff Writer
Published on Sun Jul 26 2026
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In case you missed it, Marvel Studios’ MCU is getting a Spirit of Vengeance: Ghost Rider. As revealed at their Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, Ryan Gosling will play Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider in a film set to be released in 2028, directed by Shawn Levy. But who is this Ghost Rider fella? What is this “Spirit of Vengeance” business anyway? Jules, what are you even talking about? Let me explain.
Who is Marvel’s Ghost Rider?
In Marvel Comics, lots of characters have been Ghost Rider before (going all the way back to the Ice Age, actually), but the most well-known iteration of the character is Johnny Blaze. Johnny’s Ghost Rider first appeared in Marvel Comics in 1972’s Marvel Spotlight #5, as part of a larger wave of supernatural-themed characters that included Blade, Werewolf By Night, and Moon Knight that proliferated in the early to mid 1970s. Johnny Blaze was introduced as a daredevil stunt rider who performed in a carnival.
But when Johnny’s mentor, a man aptly named Crash, fell deathly ill, Johnny made a pact with the demon Zarathos so that Crash would live. Under Zarathos’s influence, Johnny Blaze became the Spirit of Vengeance, a figure who hunts down all those who hurt the innocent, wherever they are. The trademark ability of the Spirit of Vengeance (and any Ghost Rider) is something called the Penance Stare, where the guilty is made to look directly into the flaming skull’s empty eye sockets, and in that moment, they experience every ounce of pain they’ve unleashed onto other people in their lifetime. This Penance Stare attack reduces the perp to a hollow husk.
Is Ghost Rider an Avenger?
In the comics, Ghost Rider has been a part of several superhero teams. He’s been on the Midnight Sons (alongside Blade, Elsa Bloodstone, Moon Knight, and more), the Defenders, Heroes for Hire, and the Thunderbolts. As it turns out, being a Ghost Rider means that it’s pretty easy for Johnny Blaze to get around from place to place, and he’s even been the King of Hell before in Marvel Comics.
So, what can Ghost Rider do? For starters, he’s immune to getting burned by fire, and he’s got superhuman speed, strength, reflexes, and endurance. Johnny can also just… conjure a motorcycle, even if he doesn’t have one on his person. You’ll never catch a Ghost Rider without wheels, I suppose.
Now, Ryan Gosling isn’t the first actor to play Johnny Blaze onscreen. The Nicolas Cage Ghost Rider films featured the beloved actor in the role in 2007 and then in 2012. On Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Gabriel Luna played another Spirit of Vengeance, Robbie Reyes (who drives a car instead of a motorcycle).
We don’t know yet how Gosling’s Johnny Blaze will compare to that of his predecessor, Nicolas Cage, but it’ll just be a matter of time before we are enlightened by it through CGI hellfire. Hell yeah.
Consider this a meta post-credits scene for Marvel fans – the four key articles you need to read next to continue the thrills:
- How to watch the Marvel Cinematic Universe in release or chronological order
- The best Marvel Comics stories of all time
- All the MCU movies ranked from best to worst
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Jules Chin Greene: Jules Chin Greene is a journalist and Jack Kirby enthusiast. He has written about comics, video games, movies, and television for sites such as Nerdist, AIPT, and Multiverse of Color.
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