Gal Gadot passed on the chance to play Barbie before Margot Robbie stepped into the role

Wonder Woman actor Gal Gadot almost played two icons of femininity on the silver screen. After picking up Diana Prince’s Lasso of Truth for the Patty Jenkins-directed DC films Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman 1984, Gal Gadot had the opportunity to play Barbie in Greta Gerwig’s billion-dollar blockbuster but passed on the gig.

According to Margot Robbie, she envisioned Gadot as the blonde bombshell for Gerwig’s brightly colored comedy. Robbie’s LuckyChap Productions is on the ground floor of Barbie, with Robbie eyeing the IP and waiting to see who would step up to the plate to bring the legendary character to the live-action scene. Oddly, nobody put their hand up, so Robbie and her partner Tom Ackerley seized the opportunity.

According to Deadline, Robbie thought Gadot was the perfect choice to play “Stereotypical” Barbie. When Gadot rejected the gig, Gerwig shifted gears and said she wanted to develop the script with Robbie in the lead role.

As for Robbie, the actor who often appears to be everything everywhere all at once, says she’s taking a break from the spotlight for an undetermined amount of time. “Everyone’s probably sick of the sight of me for now,” she joked while speaking with Deadline. You can read the full quote below:

“I also think everyone’s probably sick of the sight of me for now. I should probably disappear from screens for a while. Honestly, if I did another movie too soon, people would say, “Her again? We just did a whole summer with her. We’re over it.” I don’t know what I’ll do next, but I hope it’s a little while away.”

Could Robbie get behind the camera before long? The Suicide Squad actor says it’s possible, with dreams of directing dancing in her head.

“I really do want to direct,” Robbie tells Deadline. “I’ve felt like I wanted to direct for about the last seven years. But I’ve always seen it as a privilege, not a right. I’ve been slowly working towards the feeling that I’ve earned the right to direct, and I feel I’m getting close to that feeling now.”

What do you think about Gal Gadot passing on the chance to play Barbie in Greta Gerwig’s awards contender? Would you like to see Robbie direct a feature film? Let us know in the comments below.