Amy Schumer
Seven years before Greta Gerwig's version of Barbie premiered, a movie based on the popular doll was already in the works at Sony, with the comedian attached to the project.
And while in 2017, she announced she wouldn't be able to star in the film due to scheduling conflicts, earlier this year, she revealed the real reason behind her exit.
"I think we said it was scheduling conflicts," she said during a June 2023 episode of Watch What Happens Live. "That's what we said. But it really was just like, creative differences. But there's a new team behind it and it looks like it's very feminist and cool, so I will be seeing this movie."
The Trainwreck star's sentiment echoes what she previously shared about the direction she realized the project was going in.
"They definitely didn't want to do it the way I wanted to do it, the only way I was interested in doing it," she told the Hollywood Reporter in March 2022.
Noting that she wanted Barbie to be an "inventor," she said the studio had the idea that a creation of hers would be heels made of Jell-O and later sent her a pair of Manolo Blahniks."
The idea that that's just what every woman must want, right there," she said, "I should have gone, ‘You've got the wrong gal.'"
Anne Hathaway
After Amy's departure, the Devil Wears Prada alum signed up in 2018 to replace the comedian, with a set release date of 2020. But by the end of that year, Deadline confirmed that Anne was no longer attached to the project, which had made its way over to Warner Bros. with Margot Robbie as Barbie instead.
Gal Gadot
Margot, who serves both star and co-producer of Barbie, originally envisioned the Wonder Woman star to lead the Barbie world.
"Gal Gadot is Barbie energy," Margot told Vogue of the actress, who wasn't available for the part. "Because Gal Gadot is so impossibly beautiful, but you don't hate her for being that beautiful because she's so genuinely sincere, and she's so enthusiastically kind, that it's almost dorky. It's like right before being a dork."
Saoirse Ronan
Ahead of Barbie's premiere, the Lady Bird alum (and longtime collaborator of Greta's) revealed she was up for a special cameo in the film. Alas, she was busy shooting The Outrun in Scotland at the time.
"I was supposed to do a cameo because I live in London and they were [filming] there," she told People. "There was a whole character I was going to play—another Barbie. I was gutted I couldn't do it."
Timothée Chalamet
Saoirse wasn't the only one Greta was hoping would make a special appearance, as the director revealed she also had her eyes set on Lady Bird's Timothée Chalamet.
"I was also going to do a specialty cameo with Timmy, and both of them couldn't do it, and I was so annoyed," Greta told CinemaBlend. "But I love them so much. But it felt like doing something without my children. I mean, I'm not their mom, but I sort of feel like their mom."
Dan Levy
The Schitt's Creek alum was unable to take on a role of a Ken due to the cast having to spend three months filming in London, the film's casting director Allison Jones told Vanity Fair.
The actor himself told People in January 2024, "Logistically could not make it work despite desperately trying to. So, yeah, I guess I was technically unavailable to do that."
He added, "Does it haunt me when I sleep at night Sometimes. It's not like it isn't like one of the biggest movies of all time. That was a tough, that was a tough day."
Bowen Yang
Another Ken that could've been? Saturday Night Live star Bowen Yang also wasn't available to film, according to Allison.
Ben Platt
And last but not least, Ben Platt rounded out the trio of potential Kens, who, as Allison revealed, were "really bummed they couldn't do it."
Jonathan Groff
The Glee alum felt decidedly not gleeful about missing out on the role as Allan (which would later go to Michael Cera).
"Dear, dear Jonathan Groff was like, ‘I can't believe I'm typing this," Allison shared, "but I can't do Allan."
Matt Bomer
The White Collar alum worked hard while auditioning for the film but ultimately turned down the role to focus on Bradley Cooper's Maestro and spend time with his husband Simon Halls and their kids Kit, Walker and Henry.
"Even though my part in Maestro was smaller, Bradley was so collaborative with me from the get-go," Matt told Business Insider in an interview published April 10. “It was such an immersive experience that to have just flown in from London to film my scenes [in Barbie] really quick and fly back to London—I feel like Maestro wouldn't have been the same experience for me."