Oppenheimer V Barbie: Comparing The Two Wildest Movie Casts In Years

Few auteurs are able to get butts into seats with quite the same efficiency as Christopher Nolan. His films might not make much sense upon first viewing, but that doesn't diminish his hype by any stretch of the imagination. Nolan is the definition of an auteur; even the most pedestrian plots come alive under his unique vision. Which is why, when the director announced he'd be exploring the repercussions of World War II through the eyes of J. Robert Oppenheimer, fans were ecstatic — whether they had any idea who Oppenheimer was or not.

For the record, Oppenheimer was an American physicist who essentially spearheaded the invention of the atomic bomb. His work was instrumental to bringing an end to one of the worst wars in human history, but his legacy isn't all good. After the devastating casualties at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, Oppenheimer began to question the toll that nuclear war could pose in the future. Though he didn't necessarily regret the use of atomic bombs during the war, he strongly opposed further development in the years that followed.

With such a complicated legacy to contend with, Nolan will undoubtedly have his hands full with "Oppenheimer" — but this won't be the first time the filmmaker has explored the moral conflict of modern warfare. His high-stakes epic "Dunkirk" raked in major bank and critical acclaim back in 2017 (yeah, it's been that long), and it completely remixed the ways in which a war story can effectively be told. "Dunkirk" also had the force of a stellar cast behind it, a few of whom will be returning for yet another collaboration with Nolan.

Still, the overwhelming whiteness of "Oppenheimer" has sparked some justifiable backlash. In a film that hinges on historical accuracy, it can be tricky to form an outright diverse cast — at least, that's what most fans of period films believe. The truth is, filmmakers don't have to pull a "Hamilton" or a "Bridgerton" to achieve diversity in their stories. People of color did, in fact, exist back in those days. Some even played big roles in the fight against fascism in the '40s. But erasure has become an unfortunate norm in the world of the period film, and "Oppenheimer" wouldn't be Nolan's first offense.

In the real-life evacuation that inspired "Dunkirk," thousands of African soldiers — hailing from French colonies in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia — were instrumental in holding back German forces. The Royal Indian Army Services Corp also assisted the British and the French, but Nolan made very little effort to include any of that in his dramatization of the battle. Situations are pretty similar for "Oppenheimer." At least 12 Black scientists were involved in the development of the Manhattan Project. Does Nolan intend on representing any of them?

Fans don't necessarily flock to Nolan films for their inclusivity, but after marginal progress in "Tenet" — which featured his first leading actor of color in 30 years of filmmaking — some had hoped the director would be inching towards more diverse fare in the films to come. To see him neglect that responsibility again is a bit of a disappointment, but I doubt Nolan will let us down in any other capacity.

What's most shocking about this lineup is how utterly subversive it feels. In terms of male leads alone, "Barbie" is a revelation. Many moons have passed since Ryan Gosling became the internet's first boyfriend, but there was a time when his appeal was not nearly so universal. Even now, he's not everyone's first choice to play Barbie's hunky leading man; early reactions to his platinum blonde look are split right down the middle. And though Simu Liu shares Gosling's action figure physique, he too has become an "unlikely" heartthrob in his own right. In fact, none of Gerwig's male leads are exactly synonymous with the Hemsworthian ideal — but that's exactly what makes their respective roles in the upcoming film so exciting.

It's pretty clear that Gerwig is looking to bring a fresh perspective to a time-honored franchise. Whether the film does take on a fish-out-of-water storyline (à la "Life Size") or opts for a retelling in the vein of the forthcoming "Buzz Lightyear" movie, it won't be the first to take the Barbie world in a new direction. The brand has been pivoting toward healthier representation for years now, despite the lingering image of the stick-skinny dolls most of us grew up with. From Barbie's vlog series — where she unpacks everything from the sorry reflex to systemic racism — to the brand's growing line of body-positive dolls, Barbie has definitely been made over for the better.

Even before Gerwig boarded the project, inclusion was a must for Mattel Films. In 2019, executive producer Robbie Brenner pledged that "Barbie" would boast as diverse a cast as possible, and with the way things have shaped up since, it seems their commitment was genuine. It'd have been easy for the "Barbie" movie to devolve into a mindless cash grab, given the enduring popularity of the IP in question. But Mattel's smart, strategic choices have maneuvered the film into very unique territory. With Greta Gerwig (and her partner and co-writer Noah Baumbach) calling the shots, "Barbie" is poised to be one of the biggest summer blockbusters of 2023 — a tough feat for a world now dominated by one franchise at a time.