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No, Ryan Gosling Isn't Too Old To Play Ken in Barbie (He Looks Perfect)
Some audiences eagerly anticipating the upcoming Barbie movie were divided after seeing new images of Ryan Gosling in the film, with some claiming he's too old to play Ken - here's why that's wrong. Gosling is joined by a host of talent for Barbie, which is written by couple Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, who both have Academy Award nominations to their names. Gerwig alone sits in the director's seat, but she's joined by an all-star cast that includes Margot Robbie, Will Ferrel, Simu Liu, Michael Cera, and Sex Education pair Emma Mackey and Ncuti Gatwa.
First created in 1959, the Barbie doll is iconic in American culture, and a film adaptation based on the brand has been rumored since 2009. The movie is now filming in England, with a release date scheduled for 2023, and the recent images offered audiences a glance of Margot Robbie as the titular main character, and Gosling as her "perfect" boyfriend, Ken. However, the reaction to the pictures of Gosling suggest that many believe he is less than perfect for the role, with some even branding the casting "insane."
Considering that Gosling visually looks the part, with his bleached blond hair, spray tan, and six-pack abs, the problem that people have with the casting lies elsewhere. The issue supposedly lies with Gosling's age, and the 10-year age gap between him and Robbie, with them being 41 and 31 years old respectively. There's no doubt that Hollywood does have a larger problem with casting older men with younger women but Gosling's Barbie movie casting is not representative of that issue. In 2013, there was little outcry about the age gap 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 needs to be viewed with more perspective. Even though there is an age gap, the fact that Barbie is in the safe hands of Greta Gerwig lends hope that the movie will transcend the age gap, and will do justice to the characters of Barbie and Ken.
Yet the stranger aspect of the recent criticism is that, on the surface, Gosling looks perfect as Ken. The Barbie movie's makeup and wardrobe departments have ensured that Gosling suits Ken's persona as the "perfect" boyfriend and he looks nearly identical to the dolls. What's impressive is that he accomplishes this while being 41 years old. Regardless of the agist comments directed towards Gosling, Gerwig's Barbie reportedly includes multiple Kens and Barbies, and thus it's likely to include inclusive messages about identity which would appear to work well with a famous brand of dolls.
What the criticism ignores above all else is that Gosling is perfect for the role, even when appearances and age are pushed aside. Reports suggest that Barbie will be satirical in nature, and Gosling has proved his comedic chops before. He can play the vein, self-referential boyfriend, which would work well considering his history in romantic comedies, or he could embrace a more self-effacing approach, similar to his character in Shane Black's The Nice Guys. Audiences may not see a live-action reimagining of the traitorous Ken from Toy Story 3, however, there's no reason to doubt that Gosling could pull that off too. Ultimately, how Gosling can work with Gerwig and Baumbach's script, and his chemistry with Margot Robbie, will always be more important than how he looks. And when Barbie comes out in theatres, Gosling will likely prove why he's the right fit for the role.
Barbie (2023)
Release Date: Jul 21, 2023
