Twitter Is Surprised Amy Schumer Was Originally Cast As Barbie

Following the release of the first official trailer, anticipation for all things Barbie has reached a fever pitch. Directed by Greta Gerwig, the forthcoming live-action flick boasts an enormous all-star cast led by Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, who star as the iconic plastic pairing, Barbie and Ken. Although, Robbie wasn’t always first in line for the coveted role, as Amy Schumer was originally set to star as Barbie. Schumer confirmed to Variety back in 2017 that she was “no longer able to commit” to the project “due to scheduling conflicts.” However, many on Twitter only just learned of the comedian’s involvement — and fans “can’t believe” the Trainwreck star was almost cast in the role.

In a 2022 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Schumer opened up further about her decision to pull out of the film, sharing: “They definitely didn’t want to do it the way I wanted to do it, the only way I was interested in doing it.” Speaking at the time, the actor also revealed that her vision for the movie was for Barbie to be an inventor, prompting the studio to suggest that the titular character could be the inventor of Jello high-heels — and when the studio sent her a pair of expensive Manolo Blahnik shoes in celebration of her initial casting, Schumer knew they had “the wrong gal.”

Babylon star Robbie was announced in July 2019 as Schumer’s replacement to the delight of some movie fans, many of whom have praised the actor’s uncanny likeness to the iconic doll. Although Schumer’s prior involvement was widely reported, many on social media only recently found out she was very nearly at the helm of the film, sparking a lot of online discussion.

“I still can’t believe the plan for this movie was to put Amy Schumer as the lead,” one fan wrote on Twitter. “Cannot believe Barbie was almost Amy Schumer instead of Margot,” another commented.

Despite people’s surprise, some fans added that “queen” Schumer’s take on the classic doll “would have been hilarious.” However, many of those looking forward to Barbie are satisfied with how the casting process panned out. “Absolutely no one else could’ve been cast as Barbie (and Ken),” another user chimed in.

Find more Twitter reactions to Amy Schumer’s original Barbie casting, below.

Barbie hits theaters on July 21.