Barbie fans have found themselves divided over the latest image to emerge from the film that shows Ryan Gosling as an older Ken. The upcoming comedy is written by multi Oscar-nominees Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig, with directorial duties being handled by Gerwig. In the 63 years since the original Mattel doll was launched, Barbie and her “perfect” boyfriend Ken have never appeared in a theatrically released, live-action film until now.
The film has certainly been a long time in the making, with initial reports about its production emerging as far back as 2009. Several high profile names such as Diablo Cody, Amy Schumer and Anne Hathaway were all associated with the film at one point or another, but it wasn’t until Margot Robbie, Gerwig and Baumbach came onboard that things really began to gel. As it stands, Barbie has an outstanding cast that includes Robbie in the titular role, as well as Will Ferrell, America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Michael Cera, and of course, Gosling. Barbie is currently filming in England, with an official release date set for July 21, 2023.
With little known about the film at present, those who are eager for even a glimpse of what Barbie will offer recently received a surprise. The arrival of the first image of Gosling as Ken has delighted some, but it’s also been criticised by those who feel the 41-year-old star is too old to be playing Barbie’s legendary boyfriend. As The Independent reports, the new Ken image has prompted extensive debate online, with some stating that the casting is “insane.”
Within the Barbie canon, Ken officially met his perfect match in 1961 on the set of a TV commercial. He’s been around for a while (as has Barbie), but the film obviously sets the pair in the present and doesn’t use their real ages. What fans are likely more bothered by, then, is that the real-life age difference between Robbie and Gosling is ten years, suggesting that perhaps Gosling isn’t quite young enough to be playing the role. The new image of Gosling highlights his six-pack abs, spray-tan and bleach blonde hair – the likes of which makes him appear pretty convincing as a comical “perfect” boyfriend.
Regardless of what fans online might think about Gosling as Ken, it’s pretty hard to deny that he looks great for 41. Being called too old for the role sounds similar to the ageism that Jason Momoa faced when trolls accused him of having a “dad bod” back in 2019. The bottom line here, however, is that with a script from Gerwig and Baumbach as well as direction from Gerwig, Barbie already stands an excellent chance of being worth audience's time – regardless of how many liberties the film takes with regard to the Barbie lore.
Source: The Independent