Ryan Gosling called 'too old' and 'ugly' as Ken in 'Barbie'

The trailer for the live-action "Barbie" movie received mixed reactions when it debuted last week and fans were especially not impressed to see Ryan Gosling in the role of Ken, with some criticising his appearance.

Over at Twitter, viewers shared their disappointment at having the 42-year-old actor play the iconic character because of his age and looks. One wrote that he is "too ugly and too old" and claimed that "Superman" star Henry Cavill or "Captain America" actor Chris Evans would have made a better Ken.

Another joked that Gosling's Ken "needs some botox." A third commented, "looks like a paedo."

One more tweeted, "I cant get over how awful Ryan Gosling looks in this Barbie movie. I thought so before when we saw filming/stills, but now we have a trailer and it's official. He looks like a 40yo man with a mid-life crisis - too old to be Ken. Margot looks in her mid-late 20s - good age for Barbie."

"From the trailer I am getting the vibe for 28-32 based on the way most actors look. 35 at OLDEST. Ryan doesn't fit, especially opposite of Margot who looks on the lower end of the age range in trailer (she is 32 IRL, but movie styling makes her look younger)."

However, fans defended Gosling from the criticism with one saying, "I just cannot believe that we live in a world where people think Ryan Gosling is either 'too ugly' or 'too old' to be playing a live-action Ken doll. Y'all can't be serious. So incredibly mean & untrue & he will truly be the clear standout in that film."

Another wrote, "People criticizing Ryan's appearance have never seen an old Ken doll. He's got a fake tan + obviously fake blonde hair bc that's what Ken had" and a third called Gosling a "perfect casting" as Ken. Gosling sported a fake tan and bleach blonde hair as Ken in "Barbie."

"The Gray Man" star did not need that much convincing to play Ken in "Barbie." He told Jimmy Fallon during an appearance on "The Tonight Show" back in July that the script was the "best" he has ever read. He even shared the story of how he said yes to playing the part after director Greta Gerwig ("Little Women") offered him the role.

He said he walked into his backyard and saw a shirtless otherwise pristine Ken doll "facedown in the mud next to a squished lemon." Taking it as a sign from the universe, he took a photo of the scene before him and sent it to Gerwig. He then told her, "I shall be your Ken. For his story must be told."

Gosling also talked about people's reaction to him playing Ken in the film. While feigning anger he said, "I was surprised how some people were kind of clutching their pearls about my Ken as if they ever thought about Ken for a second before this! They never played with Ken!"

The actor lamented on Barbie Ken's story saying that nobody plays with him and he is just an "accessory, and not even one of the cool ones."

Plot details about "Barbie" remain under wraps. Although, from the looks of the trailer, one can already tell that it is going to be comedic with some musical interjections. It is also a star-studded film with Margot Robbie playing the titular Barbie, although there are also other Barbie versions based on their professions. There is actress Hari Nef's doctor Barbie, Issa Rae's president Barbie, and more. Actors Simu Liu (Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) and Kingsley Ben-Adir ("One Night In Miami") also play the other Ken characters.