Eva Mendes Responds to Ryan Gosling’s Ghost Rider Movie With a Throwback to Her Marvel History

Marvel’s Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con this past weekend delivered some major announcements and surprises for fans around the globe, not just the ones in the room. Among them was one that manifested itself as Ryan Gosling appeared on stage to confirm that he was joining the MCU and would appear as Ghost Rider on the big screen. Having campaigned for the part for years now, it was a welcome announcement for fans and one that already has diehards buzzing about what the story of the film will be and even WHICH version of the hero he’ll take on.

Gosling being cast as the MCU Ghost Rider is already a pretty distinct reveal by the studio given his history with trying to land the role, but also how it intersects with his personal life. Since 2011, Gosling has been romantically linked to actress Eva Mendes, with whom he has two daughters (and won’t publicly confirm if they’re actually married or not). As Marvel fans may recall, Mendes herself has already starred in a Marvel movie, and coincidentally, it was the first Ghost Rider film. Now, Mendes has responded to Gosling’s news with a tribute to her partner, their film history, and her original Marvel role.

Eva Mendes Responds to Ryan Gosling’s Ghost Rider in the Best Way

In a post on Instagram, Mendes re-posted a video made by a Marvel fan about how a specific moment from a previous Ryan Gosling movie cemented his place in the minds of many as the perfect actor to play Ghost Rider. The film in question is actually The Place Beyond the Pines, the 2012 drama that starred both Gosling and Mendes (where they met), and which features the actor as a motorcycle stuntman. Mendes added her own caption to the video, though, simply writing: “Love, Roxy,” calling back to her role in the Nicolas Cage-starring Ghost Rider movie from 2007.

In the 2007 film, Mendes played Roxanne Simpson, the love interest of Johnny Blaze who made her first appearance in Marvel Spotlight #5 alongside the Spirit of Vengeance himself. Roxanne was a pivotal piece of the Ghost Rider puzzle for years in the pages of Marvel Comics, but one of the biggest mysteries with Gosling’s upcoming movie is which version of the character he’ll even play, and as a result, what character would even appear alongside him.

While speaking with Kevin Feige this weekend at San Diego Comic-Con, the Marvel boss teased to Comic Book that he would let Ryan be the one to reveal details of Ghost Rider on his terms, largely because the actor himself was the main creative force.

“He is a huge fan of the comics,” Feige told us. “He did come to us particularly with a specific vision, based on some particular comics, but I’ll let him unveil that as he wants to.”

Earlier this year, Gosling teased his interest in Ghost Rider and how eager he was to make it happen. When it was pointed out she had been in Ghost Rider, and he hadn’t, he quipped that he was “happy one of us got to do it.”

Ryan Gosling’s Ghost Rider movie is officially scheduled to debut in 2028. The actor has also reassembled the creative team behind the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter, with Jonathan Tropper penning the script and Shawn Levy directing.