Ryan Gosling Expresses Interest in Portraying 'Husky Ken' in a 'Barbie' Sequel
Ryan Gosling expresses interest in playing a unique version of Ken in a potential 'Barbie' sequel While unaware of any current plans, he eagerly awaits the opportunity to portray a distinctive and unconventional character
Ryan Gosling may only be Ken for now, but he's interested in portraying a different iteration of the iconic character if he returns to Barbie Land.
"Could it be a rugged Ken? Can I portray Rugged Ken, like Sandwich Ken? Can I portray that Ken next time?" Gosling, 43, joked to Variety on Friday, December 8, mentioning that the cast is unaware of any potential sequel.
Gosling was joined by his Barbie co-star America Ferrera, who expressed similar sentiments about a sequel to the movie.
“We don’t have any information,” she told the outlet. “I will say, what Greta [Gerwig] and Margot [Robbie] have said is they didn't intend to create a franchise. They poured everything they loved and knew into it. It's refreshing, right? We're not setting it up for 20 years of ‘Barbie’ movies. But at the same time, I know nothing, so there might be 20 years [of Barbie] … or a Ken spinoff?”
Barbie, released in July, grossed over $1.4 billion at the box office. Gosling received praise for his role as Ken and his performance has earned him his first Billboard Hot 100 hit with “I’m Just Ken,” nominated for Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 2024 Grammys. Despite initial hesitation, director Gerwig persuaded Gosling to perform a musical number, praising his beautiful voice and dancing skills. Gerwig likened the process to boiling a lobster, stating that by the time Gosling was singing and dancing, he didn't even fully realize how it had come about.
Ryan Gosling Jaap Buitendijk
Gosling expressed uncertainty about fully capturing the spirit of Ken, but he acknowledged Robbie, 33, and Gerwing for guiding him to realize his true potential. “Until now, I had only seen Ken from a distance. I didn't know Ken from the inside,” he said at CinemaCon in April. “I questioned my ability to embody Ken. I couldn't see it. But Margot and Greta brought it out of me.”
Despite the film's enormous success and influence in popular culture, Gerwig has no immediate plans to make a sequel.
"In this moment, this is all I have," she stated in a July interview with The New York Times. "I always feel this way at the end of every movie, like I'll never have another idea and I've accomplished everything I've set out to do. I wouldn't want to discourage anyone else's ambitions, but for me, I'm starting from scratch right now."
Robbie, for her part, agreed with Gerwig’s thoughts about leaving the film as a standalone.
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Robbie told the Associated Press in November, "I think we put everything we had into this one. We didn’t build it to be a trilogy or something. Greta put everything into this movie, so I can’t imagine what would be next."
Barbie 2 may not be releasing in theaters in the near future, but Mattel has plans to launch more movies based on their beloved toys. Projects for Polly Pocket, Hot Wheels, and American Girl are currently in development.
