Marvel's Phase 4 has been all about introducing new heroes into the fray. WandaVision gave viewers Monica Rambeau, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier saw Sam Wilson get a much-deserved promotion, and Hawkeye gave the world Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop. Those three are only a fraction of the newbies introduced so far, and the MCU isn't done yet.
One of the big names who is rumored to make his debut in the coming years is Richard Rider, aka Nova—yes, as in the Nova Corps from the planet of Xandar, as seen in Guardians of the Galaxy. Last audiences heard about them, Thanos had wiped them out in Avengers: Infinity War. While it's unclear how the MCU will connect the dots given the supposed destruction of the Corps, the character undoubtedly has a future; it's just a matter of when.
Rumor has it that not only is a project based on the space-faring character set to go into production in 2023 but there's already an actor cast in the leading role: Ryan Gosling. Now, the actor has finally broken his silence regarding the potential casting, and his response is a surprising one.
Ryan Gosling Responds to Nova Rumors
According to MTV News correspondent Josh Horowitz, Ryan Gosling has finally responded to all of the rumors suggesting that he has been cast as the MCU's Nova, Richard Rider.
Horowitz revealed on Twitter that Gosling noted how "the NOVA rumors... aren't true," but that the actor did reveal one superhero he would want to play: "GHOST RIDER:"
"Next week my full chat w/Ryan Gosling for MTV News... But for now, an honest to goodness EXCLUSIVE... Ryan and I chatted about the Nova rumors yesterday which he said aren’t true. BUT this morning Ryan reached out to me to say there is one superhero he wants to play...GHOST RIDER."
Gosling As Ghost Rider?
Ghost Rider is certainly an interesting choice for the actor. The last fans had heard about casting for that particular character, The Walking Dead actor Norman Reedus was fueling rumors that he was going to play the character in the MCU. Apparently, there was even a chance at one point that the hero could have appeared in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness at one point.
Now, obviously, this doesn't confirm Gosling is playing the cursed biker, seeing as it was only a desire being expressed. But, despite the actor denying the Nova rumors, it's important to remind readers that his words only mean so much—as Andrew Garfield taught everyone thanks to Spider-Man: No Way Home. Remember, these actors are under strict NDAs, and even if they know something, they are legally unable to confirm it.
Gosling is a big name, and with his role in Netflix's The Gray Man, and the upcoming Barbie movie, he'll see a new surge of attention. The Marvel Cinematic Universe would be quite lucky to have him join its ranks, so hopefully it does happen one day; whether that be as Nova, Ghost Rider, or any other character.
Marvel's most recent MCU film, Thor: Love and Thunder, is now playing in theaters worldwide.
