Some viewers, who were looking forward to the release of the Barbie movie, were divided after seeing new images of Ryan Gosling in the film, and some said that he was too old to play Ken — that’s why it’s wrong. Gosling is joined by a host of talent for Barbie, written by the couple Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, who are both Oscar-nominated. Gerwig is alone in the director’s chair, but she has been joined by a stellar cast that includes Margot Robbie, Will Ferrell, Simu Liu, Michael Cera and the “Sex Education” couple Emma McKee and Nkuti Gatwa.
The Barbie doll, first created in 1959, is a cult in American culture, and since 2009 there have been rumors about a film adaptation based on this brand. Now the film is being shot in England, the release date is scheduled for 2023, and the latest images have been offered to the audience. the look of Margot Robbie as the main character and Gosling as her “ideal” boyfriend Ken. Nevertheless, the reaction to Gosling’s photos suggests that many believe that he is far from ideal for this role, and some even call the casting “insane.”
Considering that Gosling visually looks the part, with his bleached blond hair, tan and six-pack abs, the problem people face when casting is different. Presumably, the problem is related to Gosling’s age and the 10-year age difference between him and Robbie, they are 41 and 31 years old, respectively. There is no doubt that Hollywood does have a big problem with matching older men with younger women, but casting a Gosling Barbie movie is not representative of this problem. In 2013, there was little fuss about the age difference between Margot Robbie and Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, where DiCaprio was 16 years older than Robbie. Thus, Gosling’s role as Ken should be viewed from a larger perspective. Despite the age difference, the fact that Barbie is in the safe hands of Greta Gerwig gives hope that the film will overcome the age difference and pay tribute to the characters of Barbie and Ken.
And yet the strange aspect of recent criticism is that at first glance Gosling looks perfect in the role of Ken. The makeup and wardrobe departments of the Barbie movie made sure that Gosling matched Ken’s image as the “perfect” guy, and he looked almost the same as dolls. What is impressive is that he achieves this at the age of 41. Despite the aggressive comments against Gosling, Barbie Gerwig reportedly includes several Ken and Barbie, and hence she is likely to include comprehensive identity messages that seem to work well with a well-known doll brand.
What criticism ignores above all is that Gosling is ideally suited for this role, even if appearance and age are pushed aside. Reports suggest that Barbie will be satirical in nature, and Gosling has already proven his comedic abilities. He could play a wiry, opinionated boyfriend, which would work well given his history in romantic comedies, or he could take a more humble approach, like his character in Shane Black’s Nice Guys. Viewers may not see a live reinterpretation of the traitor Ken from Toy Story 3, but there is no reason to doubt that Gosling will also cope with this. Ultimately, how Gosling will be able to work with the script of Gerwig and Baumbach, and his chemistry with Margot Robbie, will always be more important than how he looks. And when Barbie hits theaters, Gosling will most likely prove why he’s perfect for the role.
