Ryan Gosling will join the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as the titular character in a new Ghost Rider film, the media franchise has announced.

Speaking during the surprise announcement at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, Gosling said it is a character he has "wanted to play for a very long time".

The film is due to be released in 2028, and will be the third about the motorcycle-riding anti-hero. It will follow the 2007 film of the same name starring Nicolas Cage, and its follow-up, 2011's Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.

At a separate event at the convention, the actor Ryan Reynolds made a surprise appearance as the Marvel character Deadpool, who he has played in a series of films.

This year's convention has ushered in a number of Marvel updates for fans, including an exclusive trailer that was shown of the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday film and an announcement that Black Panther 3 would be released in 2028.

Johnny Depp made a special appearance, as did Rick Moranis when he announced a sequel to the 1987 parody film Spaceballs.

Before making the big reveal about Gosling's addition to Marvel, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said on stage that he had often been asked when Gosling would join the MCU.

Shortly after, the lights turned off. When they returned, the actor appeared on stage to cheers from screaming fans.

Speaking about the role, Gosling, a three-time Oscar nominee, said: "Wow, is this really happening?"

He has previously spoken about his desire to take on the role. Appearing on Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast in March, the Hail Mary and La La Land star confirmed he was in discussions with Marvel.

Ghost Rider is the anti-hero identity of motorcycle stuntman Johnny Blaze.

The character's story begins when he becomes bound to the Spirit of Vengeance Zarathos after making a deal with villain Mephisto to spare his surrogate father, giving him superpowers.

The film will be directed by Shawn Levy, who Gosling described as the "only" director for the project.

Levy has previously directed Deadpool & Wolverine in the MCU, and is currently working with Gosling on Star Wars: Starfighter, which is due to be released next year.

Levy told the crowd that he and Gosling spent a lot of their downtime on set daydreaming about Ghost Rider and swapping ideas.

The director said: "As Ryan started talking about his vision for this character, we started riffing, and I finally said, 'bro, let's ride', so guys, we'll see you in 2028."

The other famous Ryan - Reynolds - made his own appearance at a panel for the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday film.

Dressed in a grey version of Deadpool's suit, he asked teasing questions of celebrity panellists like Robert Downey Jr and Paul Rudd.

"When do you start filming?" Reynolds asked the cast.

Downey Jr shot back, "It's in the can, bro, look around you. Did you bump your head?"