First Look At Ryan Gosling As Ken In Barbie Movie Is Uncanny

With Greta Gerwig's much-anticipated "Barbie" on the horizon, much has been made of the title character and the star portraying her, Margot Robbie. With her blonde locks and doll-like features, many believe that Robbie, who also serves as a producer on the film, was an obvious shoo-in for the role. Given that this is a Gerwig project, however — a director whose work contains more nuanced realism than, say, neon pink Mattel products — fans would be wise to leave any "Barbie" assumptions at the door. 

In fact, Robbie has even noted this interesting dichotomy in interviews since Warner Bros. announced that she would take part in the project. During an interview with Vogue, Robbie said, "People generally hear 'Barbie' and think, 'I know what that movie is going to be,' and then they hear that Greta Gerwig is writing and directing it, and they're like, 'Oh, well, maybe I don't."

One early maneuver that's already thrown fans for a loop is the inclusion of multiple Barbies who are rumored to be played by Hari Nef and Issa Rae, among others. The same goes for Ken, who will be portrayed by a number of actors, including Simu Liu and Ncuti Gatwa (via Uproxx). The earliest star attached to play Ken, however, was Ryan Gosling (via Deadline). Now, Warner Bros. has released a first look image of Gosling as Barbie's plastic companion.

Sun's out, guns out, as they say, and the forecast at Barbie's Malibu Beachhouse is sunny. On Wednesday, Warner Bros. took to Twitter to reveal a first-look image of Ryan Gosling as Ken in "Barbie." Set against a neon pink background, the actor is decked out in bleach blond hair and a light-wash denim vest, both of which are offset by his heavy spray tan. Gosling is also donning some custom underwear à la Marky Mark, with "Ken" written on the band in the Calvin Klein font.

As expected, the Twitterati were out in full force to comment on Gosling's upcoming visit to Barbieworld. "He's been training for this since the Mickey Mouse Club," @RdotSpoon wrote in reference to the actor's child actor roots. Others couldn't help but compare the photo to some of Gosling's more dramatic roles — especially another platinum blond outing of his: "Can't believe they yassified The Place Beyond the Pines," wrote @stefabsky. Even Gosling's "Barbie" co-star Hari Nef amusingly chimed in to comment on the actor's revealing jean vest: "Say yes to the jest."

The promo image comes about two months after audiences first saw Margot Robbie in her "Barbie" get-up. Like his co-star, Gosling is similarly awash in pink, though he's not outfitted with a Barbie convertible. "Barbie" is scheduled to hit theaters on July 21, 2023.