Shawn Levy turned down Tom Cruise’s “Days of Thunder 2” for Marvel’s “Ghost Rider” with Ryan Gosling

Shawn Levy seems to have made his choice before Tom Cruise could reach him to persuade him. According to Puck News journalist Matt Belloni, as JoBlo reports, Cruise and Paramount “aggressively” pursued the director of “Deadpool & Wolverine” to direct the sequel “Days of Thunder 2” — but Levy turned down the offer and chose Marvel Studios’ new project, “Ghost Rider”, with Ryan Gosling in the lead role.

The offer was anything but secret, at least according to The Playlist: Cruise’s unexpected visit to the set of “Star Wars: Starfighter”, the film Levy is directing with Gosling in the lead, was in fact seen as part of the strategy to lure the director into taking over the revival of the 1990 film. But Levy had his own calculations — including the new multi-year television deal with Disney (21 Laps Entertainment / 20th Television), which keeps him closely tied to the orbit of Marvel and the House of Mouse studios.

The director’s job on “Days of Thunder 2” ultimately went to Jonathan Levine, the filmmaker behind “50/50” and “Long Shot”. Meanwhile, the screenplay for “Ghost Rider” is written by Jonathan Tropper, while Gosling will play Marvel’s flaming-skull antihero.

The release calendar is also clear: “Days of Thunder 2” is set for June 2, 2028, with Anne Hathaway as co-star, while “Ghost Rider” arrives in cinemas on July 28, 2028. Before both of them, Levy’s “Star Wars: Starfighter” opens on May 28, 2027.