Margot Robbie’s Barbie Movie Just Gave Us Our First Look At Ryan Gosling’s Ken, And Holy Abs And Hair

Director Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie cast contains a dream house’s worth of stars, with Margot Robbie herself heading them all up as the titular icon. While we don’t have too many looks at what’s to come from this upcoming movie, we’ve previously seen Robbie’s Barbie in the flesh. Prepare yourselves, because our first glimpse of Ryan Gosling’s Ken has landed, and those abs and hair are about to inspire some feelings.

It wasn’t that long ago that we were introduced to Margot Robbie’s Barbie, which kicked off the latest wave of anticipation for this Mattel-sourced adaptation. Now Warner Bros. has gone ahead and given us the matching set, releasing this image of Ken to the masses: 

Well, damn. Barbie co-star Simu Liu’s remarks about Gosling’s training are pretty much staring us in the face at this point. While it’s not the first time we’ve seen Ryan Gosling showing off his six-pack for the fans, this latest officially sanctioned thirst trap proves just why this movie’s being released next summer. 

Ken’s entire look is practically out of a ’90s boy band video, completed by Gosling’s feathered blonde hair. The personally branded underwear is certainly new, and is a good indicator of Barbie’s sense of humor, which comes from the script by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach. 

Already the tone is set for the world of the dolls to be chock full of inside jokes and easter eggs. Considering we’re talking about Ryan Gosling’s abs here, that means there’s room for a reference from this infamous gag in Crazy Stupid Love:

Even the grin that sits on Gosling’s face feels like something you’d see on a figure in a playset. Self-assured and ready for action, it’s a shame you won’t hear “Barbie Girl” in Barbie, because Ryan Gosling is certainly dressed for the occasion. Then again, maybe this costuming indicates that he is in a boy band, and a whole bunch of tongue-in-cheek pop songs await instead. 

Ryan Gosling’s impressive figure is even more of a credit to his Barbie performance, as he could have very easily had a plastic chest piece made that looked even more like a doll. However, with the potential for the film to comment on the business of body image, the real deal does go a long way to bringing that message home. Plus, as we saw when Gosling was temporarily cast in The Lovely Bones, he tends to go pretty method. 

Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling look fantastic in plastic, making Barbie’s July 21, 2023 release date even more of a trial for those awaiting this particular playdate. Though Gosling fans can see more of his muscles as they take on Chris Evans’ opposing muscles in The Gray Man, which debuts on the 2022 Netflix movie schedule starting July 22nd. Robbie, on the other hand, can be seen in Amsterdam and Babylon, both of which are expected to be released towards the end of the year.