In a recent interview with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Michael Cera revealed some interesting behind-the-scenes details about the upcoming Barbie movie directed by Greta Gerwig. Cera, who plays the lovable character Allan in the film, shared that Ben Affleck was initially slated to make a cameo during Allan's fight sequence with the construction Kens.
Cera disclosed that he wasn't even supposed to be involved in a fight in the movie. 'Am I allowed to say what was supposed to be? It was supposed to be Ben Affleck. Am I allowed to say that?' Unfortunately, Affleck had to back out of the film due to his commitment to another project. Cera mentioned that Affleck wanted to do it, but his directing duties on his own movie prevented him from participating. This turn of events gave Allan, Cera's character, a chance to shine.
With Affleck out of the equation, the filmmakers had to come up with an alternative plan. 'They're like, 'OK, Ben is out. Something has to happen here, so you're gonna fight them,'' Cera recalled. Suddenly, Allan's journey took an unexpected turn, and it was time for Cera to impress with his fight skills. However, the stunt training process didn't exactly go smoothly.
Cera hilariously described the challenges he faced during stunt training, especially considering his recent recovery from COVID-19. 'I had just gotten over COVID, and they had me training, and I almost died just doing a warm-up,' Cera shared. The physical demands were so intense that he had to pause the training and rest in the trailer. Despite the initial setbacks, he eventually mastered the fight scene and delivered a memorable performance.
Interestingly, Cera mentioned that the scene where Allan takes out several construction Kens in Barbie Land was never originally part of his character's journey. In fact, during the rehearsal, it was treated as a joke. 'We did the thing where I murdered the guy with the shovel, and it was like a joke. And then we were like, 'Greta is not going to let me murder someone in the movie,' and it's in the movie,' Cera revealed. Clearly, the creative choices evolved during the production phase, adding an unexpected twist to Allan's storyline.
This recent peek into the making of the Barbie movie has generated curiosity and excitement among fans. Earlier this week, during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Cera expressed his enthusiasm for a Barbie spinoff centered around his character, Allan. While acknowledging that Allan is a somewhat inactive character, Cera drew inspiration from Hans Moleman from The Simpsons, who constantly stands around. He sees the potential for a quirky and unique movie focusing on Allan's peculiar demeanor.
As more intriguing tidbits emerge about Greta Gerwig's Barbie, fans eagerly await the film's release to experience the charm and humor that the star-studded cast, including Michael Cera, promises to deliver.