Oppenheimer Star Cillian Murphy Would Play Ken In A Barbie Sequel

The much-anticipated release of Barbie and Oppenheimer (dubbed “Barbenheimer”) sparked the cinematic event of the year, inspiring a wave of memes and some healthy competition as moviegoers rushed to watch both releases back-to-back. Now, as many fans contemplate a Barbie X Oppenheimer crossover, one of the film’s leading stars has revealed they would be open to the idea.

Speaking to Cinefilos, Oppenheimer's leading man Cillian Murphy responded “Yeah, let’s read the script. Let’s have a conversation” when asked if he’d consider playing the role of Ken in a future Barbie sequel. The actor went on to reveal that he has not yet watched the Greta Gerwig-directed film, but is very much looking forward to it. “I can’t wait to see the movie. I think it’s great for cinema. You know, we’ve got all these great movies happening this summer,” he added.

Although fans would likely scramble to witness Murphy’s “Ken-ergy” on the big screen, a potential Barbie follow-up is yet to be confirmed. However, the film’s director Gerwig previously told Variety that the idea of a Barbie follow-up would “certainly be exciting.” Meanwhile, TIME magazine also reported that Mattel CEO, Ynon Kreiz, showed “remarkable enthusiasm” for “more Barbie movies.”

Following the film’s premiere weekend success, appetite for a Barbie 2 among audiences appears to be at a fever pitch. The movie scored an impressive $377 million at the global box office during its opening weekend, becoming the biggest debut ever for a female-directed film.

As for Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, the biographical thriller earned a total of $174 million at the global box office, marking the first time one film opened with more than $100 million and another opened with more than $80 million on the same weekend.