Here’s the first look at Ryan Gosling as Ken in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie

Ryan Gosling in 2018 Photo: Tommaso Boddi (Getty Images)

A month and a half after unveiling a first image of Margot Robbie in the forthcoming Barbie movie, Warner Bros. has finally shared Ryan Gosling’s look as Ken. Posing in front of what is presumably a version of Barbie’s Dream House, the Blade Runner 2049 star sports bleached-blond hair and a jean jacket with the sleeves cut off, along with Ken-branded boxers for some reason.

While Barbie’s styling was a nod towards the doll’s roots in the ‘50s and ‘60s, Ken’s light-wash double denim conveys a very different kind of retro look. (Well, Ryan Gosling is Canadian, after all.)

Similarly to the first glimpse of Barbie’s convertible, the Dream House appears to be a scaled-up version of its toy counterpart and fully made out of plastic, rather than a realistic version rendered in pink. The story is said to have a meta element, with Will Ferrell playing the CEO of a Mattel-like company.

Gossip surrounding the secretive project suggests that it will feature a variety of dolls, with Issa Rae and Hari Nef portraying more Barbies and Simu Liu and Ncuti Gatwa as additional Kens. In a recent appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Liu backed up this rumor, recounting how he was told, “Dolls don’t have leg hair, you’re going to have to get rid of this” and showing off a waxed shin to the camera.

Gosling does have a noticeable 5 o’clock shadow, so apparently the rules are different for facial hair. Hey, it’s not like doll bodies are particularly logical anyways!

Barbie is being directed by Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote the script with her longtime collaborator and partner Noah Baumbach. The stacked cast also includes Michael Cera, America Ferrera, Rhea Perlman, Alexandra Shipp, Kate McKinnon, Kingsley Ben-Adir, and Emerald Fennell. Saoirse Ronan, Nicola Coughlan, and Dua Lipa are rumored to appear.

Barbie is set to hit theaters in July 2023. Before then, Gosling will be seen in Netflix’s The Gray Man this summer, his first film since 2018’s First Man.