Greta Gerwig's Barbie Movie Almost Featured Gal Gadot

There's been much discussion about the ridiculously stacked cast of Greta Gerwig's "Barbie," including the reveal that John Cena nabbed his role playing a mermaid in the film during the production of "Fast X." While Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling are playing the versions of Barbie and Ken that audiences are most familiar with, they're joined by an impressively diverse roster of other Barbies and Kens who all share one thing in common: Barbie energy.

During a recent interview with Vogue Magazine, Robbie discussed what exactly it takes to be considered a Barbie Girl, and what it means to have "Barbie energy." The answer is not bleach-blonde hair and a penchant for pink, but a cheerful disposition so electric and so contagious that a person radiates from the inside out. Robbie gave an example of an actor who exudes Barbie energy, naming "Wonder Woman" herself, Gal Gadot, as a hopeful Barbie. "Gal Gadot is Barbie energy because [she] is so impossibly beautiful, but you don't hate her for being that beautiful, because she's so genuinely sincere, and she's so enthusiastically kind, that it's almost dorky," Robbie said. "It's like right before being a dork."

Honestly, the well-intentioned peak pandemic cringe of Gadot's wholly out-of-touch rendition of John Lennon's "Imagine" as some COVID-19 version of "We Are The World" is some serious Barbie energy. What I mean by that is that Barbie isn't perfect, but she's a gal who tries really hard and borders on insufferable sometimes because she struggles with self-awareness. There are downsides to being effortlessly optimistic, after all.

Gerwig and Robbie apparently approached Gadot about joining the Barbie line-up, but she was sadly unavailable for the production. Fortunately, the Barbies we will see in the film are all exploding with that lovably daffy Barbie energy. Joining Robbie's traditional Malibu Barbie is Issa Rae as President Barbie, Hari Nef as Doctor Barbie, Alexandra Shipp as Writer Barbie, Emma Mackey as Physicist Barbie, Sharon Rooney as Lawyer Barbie, Dua Lipa as Mermaid Barbie, Nicola Coughlan as Diplomat Barbie, Ana Cruz Kayne as Judge Barbie, Ritu Arya as Journalist Barbie, and Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie. Emerald Fennell and Michael Cera join as Barbie and Ken's besties Midge and Allan, while Kingsley Ben-Adir, Simu Liu, Scott Evans, and Ncuti Gatwa appear as different Ken dolls.

Based on the trailer alone, it's evident that everyone in the cast knows exactly what movie they're in and what energy to bring to the table: Big smiles, big hearts, and maybe a little bit of vacancy behind the eyes, but still a character that you wish was your best friend. Had the "Barbie" movie been made sooner, someone like Jennifer Garner or Anne Hathaway would have been a perfect fit to play a Barbie Girl, but as we've already discussed on /Film, Greta Gerwig was born to direct this film.

"Barbie" parties into theaters on July 21, 2023.