When the star-studded cast of the upcoming “Barbie” movie was recently announced, most reacted with excitement — it seemed like everyone we love, from Issa Rae to Dua Lipa, was going to make an appearance. But Asian Twitter collectively scratched its head when Simu Liu was named as one of many actors playing a version of Ken in the film.
Don’t get us wrong — we love Liu, and we’re all for an Asian king thriving. But when a single actor appears to be getting the bulk of Asian male roles in Hollywood, it starts to feel a little less like representation and a lot more like tokenism.
All we’re saying is, we don’t want a predominantly white Hollywood to gatekeep sexy Asian male representation like it has for decades when there are so many other attractive and talented Asian men who deserve to be seen and appreciated by the general public.
Liu’s portrayal of the superhero Shang-Chi proved that he was absolutely Marvel material. But while Marvel Studios often crafts American sweethearts out of ethnic actors and quickly transforms them into highly visible stars, this shouldn’t be the only way to ascend in the industry as a person of color. Give us some options!
In the spirit of thirst and true diversity, Twitter users suggested dozens of other hot East Asian figures who would have been perfect for the role of Ken. Here are some of their picks:
Manny Jacinto
Let’s cut to the chase: Manny Jacinto hasn’t been given the flowers he deserves. The 35-year-old Filipino Canadian actor has been in award-winning shows such as “The Good Place” and played a minor role in “Top Gun: Maverick,” so we know he’d be more than capable of appearing in “Barbie.” If the movie doesn’t deliver on storyline, at least we would’ve had Jacinto’s jawline.
Ludi Lin
Gonzalo Marroquin via Getty Images
Another Canadian actor, Ludi Lin played the role of Liu…
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