Barbie was a huge gamble in movie-making with its meta approach to the material. Its marketing strategy promised a film that wouldn’t be an average animated Barbie movie. With the film’s box-office success and rave reviews, audiences are eager to see more in this world. Writer and Director Greta Gerwig and the producer and lead star Margot Robbie crafted an effective feminist statement. Simultaneously, the film was a sharp social satire on society's stance on gender. This gender satire is best conveyed in Ryan Gosling’s performance as Barbie's “love interest,” Ken.
Gosling’s portrayal challenges the norms of the male gender. His entire performance, unlike Robbie’s, is about his struggle with his identity. When Ken (Gosling) is transported to the real world, he begins to realize men hold all the power. Turning Barbieland into “Kendom” takes him on a journey of self-discovery. Ken thinks that males deserve to rule the world, which makes Barbie’s eventual return to power all the more heartbreaking for him.
The purpose he thought he served was not what he expected. With Barbie becoming a real person, Ken has lost his purpose in Barbieland, and the real world. Ken’s arc in this film proves why he has room to grow and evolve in a spinoff story. How his story could continue would take the world of Barbie in some surprising directions.
Ken Needs a Musical
“Just Ken” is one of the film’s most hilarious and surprising moments in the story. The song deconstructs every issue he goes through. It is a sequence that highlights an internal struggle that is slightly explored. There is still plenty for Ken, the character, to learn, even without Barbie in his orbit.
Allowing him to sing could let Gosling play the character of someone with more layers than meets the eye. This could also involve an exploration of Ken going back into the real world. To make it even more of a musical, he could put it in a different social environment.
Ken has already explored the streets of LA with Barbie, so now he needs to explore Broadway in New York. That world is something entirely different from LA’s “West Coast” sensibilities. As Ken says in the film, his job is to simply “beach.” Not having beaches in New York could create even more clever musical numbers.
At the same time, Ken’s interaction with classic New York archetypes could be quite exciting and silly. It would also offer a chance for a variety of cameos from the first Barbie film. In fact, this option would allow another known singer a chance to shine in the movie.
The Mattel company plays a large role in the story of Barbie. Mattel could somehow have a New York office, allowing Will Ferrell to return. Ferrell is a known recording artist, and this is a chance for him to showcase his musical chops. His musical number could be something that acknowledges Ken’s new role in comparison to his purpose in the original Barbie film.
Ken is treated as being aloof, and even referenced as “not a concern” by the Mattel company. This trip to New York could make Ken a concern as he becomes a New York “diva.” That is not the only option for Ken to make a proper spinoff.
Ken Needs a Buddy Comedy
Barbie’s ending leaves the fate of all of the Kens up in the air. Instead of just a musical, the Kens could decide they want to go to the real world. The Kens are made to be rather silly and oblivious in the Barbie film. A buddy comedy with the return of Gosling could give other “Ken” actors a chance to shine. Popular stars like Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, and Ncuti Gatwa could return. How they could return could happen in two very different but clever ways. The first way would involve the other Ken’s simply being worried about their friend (Ryan Gosling).
Ken (Gosling) could still be pining over Barbie becoming a real girl. Becoming overwhelmed with grief, he could completely forget about the lessons he learned in Barbie. This could make him eager to reunite with her in the real world. Ken (Gosling), in his state of oblivious grief, could simply travel to the wrong city.
The other Ken’s (Liu, Ben-Adir, Gatwa) could grow to be concerned for their friend. Their similar obliviousness could cause them to stumble into New York chasing their lost comrade. It would also allow a variety of other “fish-out-of-water” style hijinks.
Barbie is already making waves with its box-office debut. This means that Warner Brothers Studios is toying with ideas to continue this universe. A Ken spinoff would be the perfect next step to expand the world. Either option allows Gosling to flex his comedic muscles and explore new facets of the character. At the same time, it would allow for other Barbie characters to return. Gosling seems to enjoy playing this part, and there are plenty of stories for a Ken spinoff. Time will only tell if a spinoff is what the studio is after.