With Phase 5 of the MCU in motion, fans are eager to see which new heroes and villains might show up, and with that comes the inevitability of new actors. A majority of Hollywood’s most successful actors over the last two decades have been cast in the MCU or in a superhero movie in some way, shape, or form, but Ryan Gosling has remained on the sidelines. Though not official as of this writing, rumors have been swirling since 2022 about how he might be poised to be cast into the MCU. With this possibility, let’s take a look at our top five characters Ryan Gosling would be perfect for.
Quasar (Wendell Vaughn)
Quasar might be the true long shot for Ryan to play on the big screen, but he’s one of the Marvel comics’ original cosmic heroes, appearing a decade after Hyperion. But the reason Quasar is on this list instead of Hyperion is that Quasar was created as an original hero and made multiple featured appearances throughout the 70s and 80s, including during main events like the Infinity Gauntlet series.
Quasar’s powers come from the Quantum bands that were created over billions of years by the cosmic being known as Eon to be worn by the one he deemed worthy of being the protector of the universe. The bands eventually made it to William Wesley who died while using the bands during a S.H.I.E.L.D. experiment, and then Wendell Vaughn was nearby to take them when the facility was attacked by agents of A.I.M. Wendell Vaughn’s personality was described as lacking a killer instinct, which allowed him to go with the flow of the quantum bands instead of trying to overpower them. If there’s anyone that can play a character who’s both powerful yet possess a soft spot, it’s Ryan Gosling.
Nova
Nova is similar to Quasar in that he’s an intergalactic hero, but his combined powers come from the Nova Corps who randomly selected him and the help of a super-intelligent Worldmind computer. Richard Rider originally hails from New York and gladly accepted his fate as a powerful superhero and took it upon himself to seek out justice across the galaxy.
For a time, he believes he loses his powers, but is eventually reawakened by Night Thrasher and joins the New Warriors. From there, his story takes several complex twists and turns, which means on the surface he appears to be a simple character, but has a keen depth underneath. Nova has been teased to eventually join the MCU, and if they plan to incorporate his complicated storyline, Nova’s character would be a great role for Ryan Gosling’s acting chops to be put on display.
Longshot
With Marvel’s purchase of Fox, the X-Men are now fair game for the MCU. There are already multiple projects planned for the mutants in Phase 5, and OG fans of Marvel Comics and the mutant world would enjoy seeing this fan-favorite character making his appearance. Having the natural born ability of good luck to protect him from harm as long as his heart is not motivated by evil, he first appears as an inter-dimensional fugitive who lost his memory.
Eventually, he discovers how he was a slave on his home planet who led a revolution against the corrupt ruler known as Mojo. After his mini-series, his story ties into the X-Men and he becomes a temporary member of their teams for a few years. Longshot is a unique marvel character with a special power that’s unconventional and interesting. To have Ryan play him on the big screen would require an actor of a high caliber. Plus, wouldn’t it be great to see a clean-shaven Ryan Gosling with a bright blond mullet?
Johnny Blaze / Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider has always been an obscure Marvel “superhero” since he doesn’t exactly fit the standard mold. First of all, he’s dark and scary, which can be off-putting to younger moviegoers, especially children. Intended for mature audiences, his story revolves around an evil deal he made to save his stepfather’s life, and in exchange, Johnny Blaze’s body was taken over by the spirit of vengeance who seeks to complete vengeful acts for people by destroying the guilty party.
Ghost Rider is the most obvious choice for Ryan, especially since he basically already played Johnny Blaze, or at least a gritty stunt bike driver, in the movie The Place Beyond the Pines. This is exactly how he’d look in the MCU in human form before transforming into the blazing supernatural spirit of vengeance. However, this seems too easy and repetitive a role for Ryan, and if a Ghost Rider character makes it into the MCU, the producers might choose someone other than Johnny Blaze. Either way, after the previous Ghost Rider movie’s failure, Marvel might be looking to redeem itself with a proper reboot.
Cyclops
Scott Summers, AKA Cyclops, is a mutant with the power to shoot powerful beams of energy from his eyes. He has a history of being the first field leader of the X-Men team under professor Charles Xavier, develops into a deep character over the years, and eventually marries Jean Grey. As the crux of any X-Men story, he was unfortunately overlooked in the Fox movies and was made to be generic and completely forgettable.
Now that the X-Men are back under the MCU’s banner, hopefully, fans will get to see a much more interesting and fully-developed Scott Summers. Initially, Scott is quiet and reserved, but knows how to get down to business when it comes to leading his team and facing the enemy. This would translate perfectly for Ryan Gosling who’s also been known to play the strong and silent type with a side of vulnerability as seen in movies like Driver and Bladerunner 2049.
This is the number one pick for him because there are going to be high expectations for an MCU X-Men franchise, and rightfully so, which means Marvel should employ only the best actors for the job.
Honorable Mention: The Sentry
Rumors have also recently hinted that Ryan Gosling could be up for a role as The Sentry, and while that wouldn’t be a bad choice, let’s hope he gets the opportunity to be a part of an emerging franchise like the X-Men. Only time will tell if Ryan Gosling makes it into the MCU, but if he does, chances are he’ll be perfect for whatever role he gets.
That does it for our picks of characters that Ryan Gosling should play if he joins the MCU. Before you go, make sure to check out our feature that shares what characters would be great for Henry Cavill if he joins the MCU as well, along with the latest rumors on Phase 6.
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