Live-action Barbie movie reportedly features more diverse versions of Barbie and Ken

Margot Robbie in Barbie — (Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Greta Gerwig's live-action Barbie movie will reportedly include multiple, diverse versions of Barbie and Ken, according to New York Times reporter Kyle Buchanan.

While the film is set to star Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken, Buchanan claims on Twitter that there are multiple versions of the iconic characters. Cannes gossip suggests that Issa Rae (Insecure) and Hari Nef (Transparent) also play Barbie, while Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) and Ncuti Gatwa (who was just announced as the new Doctor in Doctor Who) also play Ken.

All four actors were previously confirmed as supporting cast members for the Barbie film, but if the rumors are true this could be a huge shake-up for the canonically white and cis-presenting characters. Issa Rae is black and of Senegalese descent, Hari Nef is an openly transgender woman, Simu Liu is Chinese-Canadian, and Ncuti Gatwa is Rwandan-Scottish. Diverse versions of iconic characters are always great to see, so it'll be interesting if these rumors are true.

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The other supporting cast members include Will Ferrell (who is playing the CEO of a toy company, because of course he is), Michael Cera, America Ferrara, and Emma Mackey.

We don't have any plot details, but we know that Gerwig (Lady Bird, Little Women) has written the script alongside Noah Baumbach. The pair have worked together several times before on films like Greenberg, Frances Ha, Mistress America, and White Noise.

In April 2022, The Hollywood Reporter reported that the film would include a "meta element" that could very well explain the multiple versions of Barbie and Ken. Welcome to the Barbieverse; I, for one, can't wait to find out more.

The live-action Barbie movie is due out on July 23, 2023. It just shot to the top of our list of most exciting upcoming movies.

Alyssa Mercante used to be a features writer at GamesRadar+ and is now a freelance writer and editor. Prior to entering the industry, she got her Masters's degree in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Newcastle University with a dissertation focusing on contemporary indie games. She spends most of her time playing competitive shooters and in-depth RPGs and was recently on a PAX Panel about the best bars in video games. In her spare time Alyssa rescues cats, practices her Italian, and plays soccer.