On Screen Soon: Ghost Rider, X-Men & Daredevil

On Screen Soon: Ghost Rider, X-Men and Daredevil comic keys

Welcome to On Screen Soon, our weekly look at the comics behind the movies and shows coming next. We've been a family comic shop since 1988, starting in Northampton, MA and now based in Los Angeles, CA, and we've been through enough "casting bumps" to know the pattern. A big announcement lands, the first appearance gets hot, and the smart money is usually in the bookshelf keys that collectors forget about. This week: a Spirit of Vengeance, a new class of mutants, and the Man Without Fear's deadliest enemy.

Ghost Rider: Ryan Gosling Takes the Wheel

The news: On July 26, 2026, Kevin Feige announced from Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con that Ryan Gosling will star as Ghost Rider in a Marvel Studios film. Shawn Levy is directing, Jonathan Tropper wrote the script, and Disney has since set a July 28, 2028 release date. The big question is still open: Feige says Gosling will reveal which Ghost Rider he's playing when he's ready. That matters for collectors, so here are the keys for both options.

The keys

  • Marvel Spotlight #5 (Aug. 1972): 1st appearance of Johnny Blaze as Ghost Rider, by Gary Friedrich, Roy Thomas and Mike Ploog. This is the top book. ComicBook.com reported on July 31, 2026 that a CGC 9.4 copy sold on eBay for almost $12,000 in the days after the Comic-Con announcement.
  • Ghost Rider #1 (Sept. 1973): Blaze's first solo series. It also has the first (cameo) appearance of Daimon Hellstrom, the Son of Satan.
  • Daredevil #270 (Sept. 1989): 1st appearance of Blackheart, Mephisto's demon son, by Ann Nocenti and John Romita Jr. He's already been a Ghost Rider film villain (Wes Bentley in 2007), so he's a natural fit if the new film goes to Hell.
  • Ghost Rider Vol. 3 #1 (May 1990): Danny Ketch's series launch. This is your hedge if Gosling plays Ketch instead of Blaze.

In stock at RSC

Spotlight #5, Ghost Rider #1 and Ghost Rider Vol. 3 #1 aren't in stock right now. Email us to get on our want list.

Don't mix these up: we also have Marvel Spotlight Vol. 2 #5 (1980) ($4). It's a different book from the 1972 Ghost Rider key. This one has the 1st appearance of Dragon Lord, with Steve Ditko interiors. It's a cool Bronze Age oddity for a fair price, but it has no Ghost Rider in it.

X-Men: Marvel Studios Rolls Call

The news: At the Disney Entertainment Showcase at D23 on August 14, 2026, Marvel Studios announced the cast of X-Men, directed by Jake Schreier (Thunderbolts*) and opening May 5, 2028. The cast includes Kit Connor (Cyclops), Sadie Sink (Jean Grey), Samara Weaving (Emma Frost), Inde Navarrette (Rogue), Maya Boyd (Storm) and Christopher Abbott (Professor X). Adam Driver is playing Mister Sinister, under the name "Nathaniel Milbury." Comics readers will know that as a nod to Sinister's "Milbury" cover identity.

The keys

  • X-Men #129 (Jan. 1980): 1st appearances of Emma Frost, Kitty Pryde, Sebastian Shaw and the Hellfire Club. Bleeding Cool reported on August 16, 2026 that CGC 9.8s sold for $2,550 (direct) and $3,950 (newsstand) on eBay as Weaving's casting news spread.
  • X-Men #131 (Mar. 1980): 1st cover appearance of the White Queen. It's part of the Dark Phoenix Saga, with Jean as the Black Queen.
  • Uncanny X-Men #221 (Sept. 1987): 1st full appearance of Mister Sinister, by Chris Claremont and Marc Silvestri. With Driver cast as the villain, this is the book to watch.
  • Uncanny X-Men #213 (Jan. 1987): Sinister's 1st cameo, a silhouette Psylocke sees in Sabretooth's mind. It's also the issue where Betsy Braddock joins the X-Men as Psylocke.

In stock at RSC

X-Men #129 and #131 aren't in stock right now. Email us to get on our want list.

Daredevil: Born Again Season 3: Bullseye Returns

The news: Season 3 has wrapped filming, and Wilson Bethel is back as Bullseye. He teased a new costume on Instagram in late May 2026, and set photos have shown the full suit. Marvel's Brad Winderbaum has said the show is "an annual release, every March," so we expect it on Disney+ around March 2027. Marvel hasn't announced an exact date yet.

The keys

  • Daredevil #131 (Mar. 1976): 1st appearance of Bullseye, by Marv Wolfman and Bob Brown, with a Gil Kane cover. It's the definitive Bullseye key.
  • Daredevil #168 (Jan. 1981): 1st appearance of Elektra, and Frank Miller's first issue as writer-artist. It's a Daredevil essential whatever the show does.
  • Daredevil #181 (Apr. 1982): Bullseye kills Elektra. Frank Miller's most famous Daredevil issue.

In stock at RSC

  • Daredevil #131 (1976) ($633, only 1 copy): 1st Bullseye. If you've been waiting for a reason to own it, this is it.

Daredevil #168 and #181 aren't in stock right now. Email us to get on our want list.

What We're Watching Next

  • Avengers: Doomsday: December 18, 2026
  • Man of Tomorrow: July 9, 2027
  • Avengers: Secret Wars: December 17, 2027

Expect keys tied to all three in upcoming issues of On Screen Soon.

The Fine Print

On Screen Soon is for fun and for collectors. It is not investment advice. Comic values go up and down, release dates and casting change, and a hot book this week can cool off by next month. Buy what you love. Sales figures are as reported by the sources listed and may not reflect current market value.