Ryan Gosling‘s long-awaited arrival in the Marvel Cinematic Universe already has one very enthusiastic supporter: Eva Mendes. Just one day after Marvel Studios officially announced at San Diego Comic-Con that Gosling will star as Ghost Rider in an upcoming standalone MCU film, Mendes celebrated the milestone with a nostalgic Instagram post that connected the actor’s future superhero role to the movie where their love story began.
On July 26, Mendes reposted a fan-edited video from the opening sequence of the 2012 crime drama The Place Beyond the Pines, where she and Gosling first met while filming.
The clip highlights Gosling’s character, motorcycle stunt rider Luke Glanton, walking shirtless through a carnival before suiting up and climbing onto his motorcycle.
The fan edit overlays Marvel’s newly revealed Ghost Rider logo onto the footage, making a compelling case that the performance foreshadowed his latest casting. The video included the caption: “from this intro only i thought ryan gosling can be a perfect casting for ghost rider role.”
Mendes made it clear she agreed. She simply wrote: “Love, Roxy.” Her brief message carried extra meaning for longtime Marvel fans. “Roxy” is a reference to Roxanne Simpson, the character Mendes portrayed opposite Nicolas Cage in 2007’s Ghost Rider.
Cage famously played Johnny Blaze, making Mendes one of the few people with a direct connection to both the original film franchise and Marvel’s upcoming reboot.
A Clever Callback to Their Hollywood Beginning
Mendes’ tribute also celebrated the film that changed both of their lives.
The Place Beyond the Pines marked the beginning of her relationship with Gosling after the pair met while making the Derek Cianfrance-directed drama. Since then, they’ve become one of Hollywood’s most private couples and are parents to daughters Esmeralda and Amada.
© GettyThe nostalgic post resonated with fans because Gosling’s motorcycle-riding role in the 2012 film already carried visual similarities to Marvel’s supernatural antihero, making the transition to Ghost Rider seem almost inevitable.
Ryan Gosling Officially Joins the MCU
Marvel Studios unveiled Gosling as its new Ghost Rider during the Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic-Con on July 25. Appearing onstage, the Oscar-nominated actor admitted the role has been on his wish list for years. “As you know, this is a character I’ve wanted to play for a long time,” Gosling told the Comic-Con audience.
© Getty ImagesMarvel also confirmed that Shawn Levy will direct the standalone film, continuing his collaboration with Gosling after Star Wars: Starfighter. The movie is expected to arrive in theaters in 2028. Fans Love the Full-Circle Moment
Mendes’ Instagram post quickly became a favorite among fans, many of whom appreciated the layered references. Not only did she celebrate Gosling’s newest career milestone, but she also paid tribute to the film that brought them together while nodding to her own history with the Ghost Rider franchise.
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