Connor Storrie, who rose to prominence with HBO Max’s Heated Rivalry, is reportedly in talks to join Marvel Studios’ Ghost Rider opposite Ryan Gosling. The casting development emerged on October 27, with reports indicating that Storrie is being considered for the film’s antagonist. However, negotiations have not been finalised, and Marvel Studios has not officially announced the casting.
The Hollywood Reporter reported the discussions after Knight Edge Media first flagged the development, with Variety, Deadline and TheWrap subsequently reporting on the talks. While The Hollywood Reporter and Variety identified the potential role as the villain, Deadline reported that Storrie was circling a role without confirming the character. The specific antagonist he might portray remains undisclosed.
Ghost Rider’s comic-book history includes several supernatural antagonists, among them Blackheart and Mephisto. Either character could generate speculation about the film’s direction, but neither has been confirmed for the upcoming production. Until Marvel provides further details, Storrie’s reported involvement and the identity of his potential character remain subject to change.
The project came together publicly in July, when Marvel announced Ghost Rider during its Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic-Con. Marvel president Kevin Feige appeared alongside Gosling and director Shawn Levy, introducing the project to audiences. Gosling told the crowd that the character was one he had wanted to play for a long time.
Gosling is expected to portray Johnny Blaze, the best-known incarnation of Ghost Rider, although reports have differed on whether Marvel has formally confirmed the character identity. The film is scheduled for release on July 28, 2028, with production expected to take place in New York in 2027.
Shawn Levy will direct the film from a screenplay by Jonathan Tropper. The project reunites Levy and Gosling following their work on Star Wars: Starfighter, which Disney and Lucasfilm have scheduled for release in May 2027. Levy previously made his Marvel directorial debut with Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024, which became the highest-grossing R-rated film worldwide, earning approximately $1.33 billion.
Levy and Gosling are also producing Ghost Rider alongside Feige, Louis D’Esposito and Stephen Broussard. Richie Palmer and Jessie Henderson are attached as executive producers. The combination of a prominent lead actor, an established Marvel creative team and a director with previous experience in the franchise places the project among the studio’s upcoming theatrical productions to watch.
For Storrie, the reported negotiations could represent a significant step in his career following the success of Heated Rivalry. In the series, he plays Ilya Rozanov, a Russian hockey player who develops a complicated relationship with Shane Hollander, played by Hudson Williams. The story follows the two rivals over several years as their relationship evolves beyond their competition on the ice.
Heated Rivalry adapts the second book in Rachel Reid’s six-book Game Changers series of gay hockey romances. The television adaptation has brought Storrie wider recognition, and his reported consideration for a major Marvel production would mark a move into a large-scale superhero franchise. TheWrap reported that the series averaged 10.6 million viewers during its first season and that a second season was in production.
Storrie was most recently seen in Joker: Folie à Deux. He has also reportedly joined the cast of A24’s Peaked, according to TheWrap. He is represented by Creative Artists Agency (CAA).
The new film would not be Ghost Rider’s first appearance in live-action cinema. Nicolas Cage played the supernatural antihero in Ghost Rider (2007) and its sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011). The first film also starred Eva Mendes, who is married to Gosling, creating a personal connection between the earlier screen adaptation and the upcoming version.
Marvel has yet to disclose the full plot of the new Ghost Rider film or confirm the extent of its connections to the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe. Storrie’s potential role also remains unconfirmed, leaving the nature of the conflict between his character and Gosling’s expected Johnny Blaze unclear.
If the negotiations lead to a deal, Storrie would join a production led by Gosling and Levy, with the film currently scheduled to begin shooting in New York in 2027 ahead of its July 2028 theatrical release. Further casting announcements and story details are expected to clarify the direction of Marvel’s new take on the supernatural character.
Ghost Rider: Key Details
- Release date: July 28, 2028
- Director: Shawn Levy
- Writer: Jonathan Tropper
- Lead actor: Ryan Gosling, expected to play Johnny Blaze
- Casting in discussion: Connor Storrie, reportedly being considered for the antagonist
- Production: Expected to shoot in New York in 2027
- Previous live-action films: Ghost Rider (2007) and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011), starring Nicolas Cage
