A breakout television performance can open doors to projects on a much larger scale, particularly when it turns an actor into one of the most talked-about new faces in entertainment. For some performers, the next step is a move from a character-driven series to a major studio franchise, bringing an entirely different kind of audience and expectations.
Connor Storrie, who rose to prominence playing Russian hockey player Ilya Rozanov in the romantic drama Heated Rivalry, could be heading in that direction. The actor is reportedly being considered for a significant role in Marvel Studios’ upcoming Ghost Rider, which will feature Ryan Gosling as the titular supernatural antihero.
According to reports, Storrie is in talks to play a villain opposite Gosling in the upcoming film. Some reports suggested that the actor had been offered a co-leading role, although the deal has not been finalised. Neither Marvel nor the actor has officially confirmed the casting, and the character he could play remains undisclosed.
The film will be directed by Shawn Levy, who previously helmed Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine, from a screenplay by Jonathan Tropper. Levy, Gosling and Tropper have also collaborated on the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter, making Ghost Rider another project that brings the trio together. Production is expected to begin next year, with the film currently scheduled to release in theatres on July 28, 2028.
Ghost Rider is most closely associated with Johnny Blaze, a motorcycle stunt performer who makes a deal with a demonic entity and becomes the Spirit of Vengeance, a supernatural figure with a flaming skull and a hellfire-powered motorcycle. Nicolas Cage previously played Blaze in Ghost Rider (2007) and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011). Marvel has not officially confirmed which incarnation of the character Gosling will portray.
Storrie’s potential casting comes after his performance in Heated Rivalry, the Canadian hockey romance series in which he stars opposite Hudson Williams as rival players Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander, whose relationship develops away from the ice. The show’s success has brought the actor increased attention, with its second season currently in production and expected to premiere in 2027.
Before the series brought him wider recognition, Storrie appeared in Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux, playing the inmate seen in the film’s final sequence. He also hosted Saturday Night Live, earning a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. His upcoming projects include Sarah Polley’s adaptation of The Bell Jar, in which he will appear opposite singer and actor Billie Eilish.
