Ryan Gosling, who stars in Netflix's The Gray Man, wants Avengers: Endgame directors Anthony and Joe Russo to help him get a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Gray Man, which the Russo Brothers also directed, features a reference to "Ken" dolls despite being shot long before Gosling had been cast as Ken in the upcoming Barbie movie. "I think [the Russo Brothers] felt my Kenergy. They must have felt it before I did," Gosling told Extra. "I hope they can manifest this MCU thing. I think that would be cool."
Gosling continued by expressing his hope of finding a career "balance" between projects like The Gray Man and ones like Barbie. "I love doing both of them back-to-back [because] I do feel like that Kenergy has always been there. It was good to get it out," the actor said. "But I also feel like Ken would love [The Gray Man]. I could see a shared universe where the Gray Man finally gets out of being a spy and gets to chill on the couch and gets to watch The Gray Man with Ken."
As for his potential MCU role, the actor has denied the rumors that he will be portraying the hero Nova in an upcoming movie. Despite this, Gosling admitted that he is interested in joining the franchise as the character Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider. Although a different incarnation of the Spirit of Vengeance previously appeared in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the form of Gabriel Luna's Robbie Reyes, Blaze has yet to make his official MCU debut apart from a small cameo in the ABC series. If Gosling wants the part, he'll have to compete for it against actor Norman Reedus, a longtime fan-favorite pick for Ghost Rider.
Whether or not Gosling gets the part of Ghost Rider, he can know that at least he was the studio's first choice for Ken in Greta Gerwig's Barbie film. If Gosling does join the MCU, filming the action sequences in The Gray Man could help prepare him for the role. Gosling recalled his concern upon realizing that the last scene he shot for The Gray Man was a major action scene. "You have to be careful of what [the Russo Brothers] make the last thing you film, because there is some part of them that's [thinking], 'This may be the last thing he ever films… so let's get this,'" Gosling joked.
The Gray Man will debut on Netflix on July 22. Barbie hits theaters on July 21, 2023.
Source: Extra