It’s Ken in a Barbie universe! Warner Bros. has released the first look still of Margot Robbie in her Barbie avatar for the upcoming live-action remake of the iconic dolls that took over the world, and now fans have their first look at Ryan Gosling’s Ken. Barbie, directed by Oscar nominee Greta Gerwig, has generated a lot of buzz ahead of its release.
Gosling fans, cinephiles, and casual Twitter users are reacting viscerally to the image of the Canadian actor, who plays Barbie opposite Margot Robbie. It’s the first official image of Gosling as the toy aisle’s most famous character.
According to the photo, Gosling has been transformed into the quintessential Ken: His skin is tinted orange, and he’s showing off an eight-pack of abs and bleached-blond hair. In front of a Pepto-Bismol pink backdrop, his underpants are inexplicably emblazoned with his own name, and he’s wearing a sleeveless denim vest without a shirt. Ken is a Malibu native through and through.
But, in terms of plot, the photo is all we have (as well as a photo of Robbie posing in-character with a pink convertible). Will Barbie grow tired of Ken’s shirtless, vapid behaviour? Will Ken show his beloved Barb that he’s more than just a bunch of abdominal muscles? Or will Ken plot against Barbie and become the antagonist in her story?
Along with Gosling and Robbie, the film features a star-studded cast that includes Kate McKinnon, Alexandra Shipp, America Ferrera, Simu Liu, Hari Nef, Will Ferrell, Issa Rae, and Michael Cera. The first look still of Gosling’s Ken has captivated a good portion of the netizens as he rocks his platinum blonde hair with washboard abs while wearing a denim-clad co-ord. The smallest detail in the photo was Ken’s briefs, which showed above his jeans and appeared to reference the Calvin Klein look, with his name emblazoned on the waistband.
Meanwhile, in a previous interview with ET, cast member Simu Liu remained tight-lipped about the film’s plot while praising Gosling, saying, “He’s definitely, like, a gym in the morning, gym after work kinda guy.” According to reports, Liu will play a younger version of Ken in the film. Though he refused to give in any spoilers on the movie, Liu did note, “I feel like July of next year when it comes, people are gonna be really, really surprised.” The film is still a long way from its release date of July 21, 2023.