In addition to all of the Barbies and Kens who lived in Barbieland, there was also Allan, who happened to be Ken’s best friend, played by Michael Cera. Allan also had his moments, such as the scene where he battled the construction workers in Barbieland’s entrance. Curiously, though, Cera revealed that this was not the original concept for that particular fight scene.
Ben Affleck was supposed to make a cameo appearance in the movie and thus had to fight the construction workers, according to the 39-year-old Ontario-born actor. Unfortunately, the former couldn’t take on the role in Barbie due to his commitment to the biographical sports drama film Air.
This gave Cera’s Allan the opportunity to show off his fighting prowess. But had Affleck been available to play the role, the scene would have been drastically altered.
Michael Cera: Barbie Featured Ben Affleck’s Cameo
A Ben Affleck cameo in the popular Margot Robbie-starrer Barbie was originally planned, according to Michael Cera. Based on the well-known fashion doll line by Mattel, the film starred Cera as Allan, a male doll that was originally marketed as Ken’s friend and could fit into his clothes. In the movie’s final scene, Cera’s character has to fight off several Kens who were posing as road workers to escape from the recently created Kenland.
In a recent Q&A for the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Cera revealed that Affleck was initially supposed to enter the scene in a cameo role and initiate the fight rather than Allan. The Canadian actor hinted that Affleck was interested in doing the film but was unable to do so because of his obligations to Air, so the makers chose Cera to take on the fight scene at “the 11th hour.”
The Superbad star shared:
“I wasn’t even supposed to fight in the movie. Am I allowed to say what was supposed to be? It was supposed to be Ben Affleck. Am I allowed to say that?”
According to Cera, Affleck was compelled to back out due to his involvement in the sports drama Air from the prior year, in which he starred.
“I think Ben wanted to do it, but he was directing his movie, but they didn’t find that out until the 11th hour. They’re like, ‘Okay, Ben is out. Something has to happen here, so you’re gonna fight them’.”
Recalling the experience, Cera added that learning the stunts during his COVID-19 recovery was a terrifying ordeal for him:
“I had to jump in with the stunt team. I had just gotten over COVID and they had me training and I almost died just doing a warm-up. I had to lie down in the trailer and they sent a nurse to see me.”
Cera did not say which part Affleck had been considered for, but he would have completed a star-studded cast that already included Helen Mirren, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Rhea Perlman, and Margot Robbie.
Barbie: Another Scrapped Cameo That Would’ve Made the Ensemble Even More Star-Studded
The Wonka star Timothée Chalamet could have made a “cameo” appearance alongside the male stars of the Barbie film, Ryan Gosling, Will Ferrell, Michael Cera, Simu Liu, and Ncuti Gatwa. During his appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Chalamet speculated about his potential role in Barbie. The actor claimed that there was initially a plan for him and Saoirse Ronan to appear in the movie together.
Though the details surrounding this appearance remain unknown, Chalamet speculated that “it would have been one of the rejected Kens or Barbies”. To quote him:
“There was an idea for Saoirse Ronan and I to do a cameo in it. I don’t know what the cameo would’ve been. I think it would’ve been one of the rejected Kens or Barbies. Not Alan! Maybe there was a reject French one along the way.”
Previously, the American-French actor, 28, collaborated with Barbie director Greta Gerwig on the films Little Women and Lady Bird. Though it is hard to say how big of a “cameo” Chalamet would have had if he had truly made an appearance in Barbie, it is an intriguing thought. Having said that, his role in Barbie would have been very different.
With over $1.4 billion in box office receipts and multiple awards, including two Golden Globes and eight Academy Award nominations, the film was a critical and financial success. Stars like Kate McKinnon, Dua Lipa, and John Cena made memorable cameos in the film. But a few big names were left out of the blockbuster, and it could be argued that their cameos would have elevated Barbie to even greater heights.
Anyway, Barbie is streaming on Max; watch now!
