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Marvel Studios is mapping out its future plans after Avengers: Secret Wars, and Ryan Gosling's Ghost Rider is officially one of them. The studio has set
a July 28, 2028 release date for Gosling's much-anticipated role as the Spirit of Vengeance. Two other major Marvel movies have also confirmed dates with the announcement. The new X-Men reboot movie will be in theatres on May 5, 2028. Black Panther 3 is due to be out on December 15, 2028. These three films will be the major films in Marvel Studios' 2028 theatrical slate.
Ryan Gosling's Ghost Rider coming in July 2028
Gosling's casting as Ghost Rider was officially announced at Disney's D23 recently, with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige revealing the actor had pitched his take on the character himself. Gosling has been the subject of casting rumours for years, with fans always campaigning for him to take on the supernatural Marvel hero. The character is coming back to the silver screen in the new movie, following Nicolas Cage's previous portrayal of Johnny Blaze in Ghost Rider (2007) and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011).
The new film will be directed by Shawn Levy, who directed Deadpool & Wolverine. Levy is also reuniting with Gosling, whom he worked with on the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter. Jonathan Tropper is attached to write the screenplay. Little is known about the plot, but Marvel has said that Gosling and Levy have come up with a unique creative take on the character.
Marvel's new X-Men movie is first up
The new X-Men team will take the lead in Marvel's 2028 rollout. Debuting on May 5, 2028, it has fixed its slot before the theatrical release of Ghost Rider. The film will be directed by Jake Schreier and will feature Kit Connor as Cyclops, Christopher Abbott as Professor X, Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, Inde Navarrette as Rogue and Maya Boyd as Storm. Adam Driver will star as the villain, Nathaniel Milbury, also known as Mr Sinister.
After Disney acquired 21st Century Fox, the film will be the first to fully integrate the X-Men into the MCU. This project is particularly important because Marvel is developing a brand new group of mutants, while several veteran X-Men actors are expected to appear in Avengers: Doomsday.
Marvel's 2028 slate rounded out by Black Panther 3
Black Panther 3 will round out Marvel's 2028 theatrical slate on December 15. Ryan Coogler, who directed the first two films, is back to direct the third instalment. David Jonsson will portray an older T'Challa II, the son of the original T'Challa (late Chadwick Boseman) and Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o). He will make his debut in Black Panther 3.
Winston Duke and Letitia Wright are also expected to return, but Marvel has kept a lot of the story under wraps.
What Marvel's 2028 lineup means for the MCU
With these three releases, Marvel appears to be preparing for a new big chapter after Avengers: Secret Wars. While X-Men would add mutants to the MCU, Ghost Rider will grow its supernatural niche, and Black Panther 3 will carry on one of Marvel's most successful franchises and legacies.
Mystery movie in 2029?
According to comicbookmocie.com Marvel Studios has also added an additional untitled MCU film to its calendar, with the mystery project set to hit theaters on November 11, 2029, in addition to the slate of films up to 2028. It joins two other previously dated releases on May 4 and July 13, 2029, though Marvel has not yet revealed what any of the three films will be. One of those slots could be a sequel to Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
