Ryan Gosling's Ken in A Barbie live-action movie has been in the works for over a decade, although initially Amy Schumer and Anne Hathaway were in contention to play the lead character. But after Warner Bros. took over, Margot Robbie was cast as Barbie. Some time later, Gosling ed the cast as Ken, Barbie's male counterpart. Filming on Barbie has been underway since spring, and the movie will release in summer 2023.
Although plot details from Barbie are slim, the movie clearly isn't another run-of-the-mill fairytale. Rather, it is expected to subvert expectations and explore themes of identity and feminism. Reports also suggest that there will be multiple Barbies and Kens in the live-action Barbie, with Emma Mackey, Issa Rae and Hari Nef potentially playing alternative versions of the titular doll. Meanwhile, Simu Liu and Ncuti Gatwa are expected to portray different Kens. So far, only two official looks at Gosling's Ken and Robbie's Barbie have been revealed, but multiple set photos have confirmed the Western-themed and fluro-colored rollerskating costumes that the two leads will be sporting at different stages.
Now, in a new interview with CNN, Gosling gave away some more details about his Ken. The actor talked about his Barbie character while dodging questions about his Netflix film, The Gray Man. Unfortunately, it seems that Gosling's Ken is more depressing than expected. Gosling explained that Ken is penniless and unemployed in Barbie and will be going through a difficult phase when he crosses paths with Robbie's protagonist, saying:
"That Ken life is even harder than the 'Gray Man' life, I think,. Ken's got no money, he's got no job, he's got no car, he's got no house. He's going through some stuff."
Although Gosling could just be joking around with this answer, previous Barbie movie set photos and videos hint that his Ken isn't a conventional movie hero. A previous video has shown Robbie's Barbie taking down a groper, but instead of coming to her rescue, Gosling's Ken is startled by the action and utters a high-pitched shriek. In another video, Barbie is seemingly taken away by law enforcement, while Ken stands behind her and does not step in to prevent the arrest. However, nothing about the Barbie set photos have teased the struggling Ken that Gosling sets up in these comments.
Collectively, the set photos and Gosling's new comments point to the idea that his Ken is perhaps faint-hearted, and reliant on Barbie for . This unexpected dynamic between the lead characters aligns perfectly with themes of feminism that are expected in Barbie, as well as Gerwig's typical storytelling, which often focuses on strong and complex women. Even if Gosling is joking somewhat about Ken's despondent state in the movie, the set videos and images still portray him as a vulnerable character. Of course, there is a full year before the Barbie release date arrives, so there is still some time to learn about Gosling's take on this iconic doll.
Source: CNN
