The MCU’s New ‘Ghost Rider’ Is Bringing His Sci-Fi Masterpiece to Streaming
Blade Runner 2049, the acclaimed 2017 sci-fi sequel starring Ryan Gosling, has arrived on Paramount+ as of 1 August, giving audiences a chance to revisit the film ahead of Gosling's forthcoming turn as Ghost Rider in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The streaming release comes shortly after Marvel Studios confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con that Gosling will lead a new Ghost Rider film, directed by his recent collaborator Shawn Levy, cementing the actor's status as one of Hollywood's most in-demand leading men.
Blade Runner 2049 served as a legacy sequel to Ridley Scott's 1982 original, with Scott returning as producer and Denis Villeneuve taking over directing duties before going on to helm the Dune trilogy. The film was widely praised by critics and fans alike, earning five Academy Award nominations and winning two, for Best Visual Effects and Best Cinematography. Gosling's Ghost Rider announcement follows the success of Project Hail Mary, and the actor is also set to reunite with Levy on the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter.
- Blade Runner 2049 is now streaming on Paramount+ from 1 August.
- Ryan Gosling is set to lead a new Ghost Rider film for Marvel.
- Shawn Levy, his Star Wars: Starfighter collaborator, will direct Ghost Rider.
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Blade Runner 2049 is a science fiction film released in 2017, continuing the story begun in Ridley Scott's 1982 original Blade Runner. It follows a detective in a future Los Angeles investigating a mystery tied to the earlier film, and starred Ryan Gosling alongside Harrison Ford. Denis Villeneuve directed the sequel, with Scott staying on as a producer, and it went on to be nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two.
Ryan Gosling has since become one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood, and Marvel Studios has now announced he will star in a new film as Ghost Rider, a supernatural character from Marvel Comics who has previously appeared in separate live-action films outside the main Marvel Cinematic Universe. The project will be directed by Shawn Levy, who has worked with Gosling before and is also lined up to direct him in an upcoming Star Wars film.
This background matters because it explains why a nine-year-old film is suddenly back in the news: its lead actor's rising profile and new Marvel role have prompted renewed interest in his earlier work, which is now being made available to stream.