Diehard Marvel fans packed into San Diego Comic Con’s massive Hall H Saturday night, some even camping out for more than 30 hours. But as the 40-minute panel wrapped up with just two surprise announcements — a Ghost Rider movie starring Ryan Gosling and “Black Panther 3” — it’s hard not to feel like, “Is that it?”
After a 30-minute delay, the panel got underway with Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige acknowledging writer and producer Stephen Wacker’s new role as Marvel Comics editor-in-chief. He then rolled out a trailer for the “Avengers: Endgame” re-release, dubbed “Endgame Encore,” which will have an exclusive sneak peek at “Doomsday.” But fans were hungry for new announcements, not a re-edited trailer for a movie they’ve likely seen multiple times (and no doubt will see again).
Gosling and director Shawn Levy re-teaming for a Ghost Rider movie was a surprise, albeit one that the actor has been attracted to for years. The announcement capped off an extended bit with “Happy Sad Confused” host Josh Horowitz, who recalled all the times he’s asked Gosling about the long-rumored movie in interviews. Unless fans have been glued to every MCU rumor, Gosling’s introduction from Horowitz didn’t track well on stage. After Marvel’s “Blade” movie never fully materialized, it’s hard not to take an “I’ll believe it when I see it” stance on the “Ghost Rider” — despite the fact that “Deadpool and Wolverine” director Shawn Levy is already locked in.
