Before taking on the role herself, Margot Robbie's first casting choice was Gal Gadot, and the star is now opening up about being eyed to play the iconic doll. The Robbie-led movie endured a lengthy development cycle prior to its record-breaking release, with Amy Schumer and Anne Hathaway attached at various points before the Harley Quinn star came on board as a producer. Robbie initially eyed Gadot to play one of the Barbies in the movie, though was unable to do so for unspecified scheduling conflicts.

During a career-spanning interview with , conducted prior to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, Gal Gadot reflected on being Margot Robbie's first

choice. The actor expressed her admiration for Robbie and feeling she "," while also sharing her hopes to partner with the producer/star on another project in the future. See what Gadot said below:

I adore Margot. Margot is one of those women who you just want to be friends with. She is so funny, warm, fun and smart and obviously so talented. She brings so much to the table. I would love to do anything with Margot and was very touched [by her comments]. She warmed my heart with everything that she said about me. I’m super excited for them, and I’m so excited for ‘Barbie.’

Around the time Robbie revealed she had eyed her for the part, Gadot expressed her excitement for on her Instagram and even teased her interest in appearing in a potential sequel. The actor wasn't the only star the creatives behind the movie tried to cast, with Timothée Chalamet and Soairse Ronan both offered cameos, only to similarly be busy with projects that they couldn't accept. Not all were scheduling conflicts, however, as 's Jonathan Groff was the first choice to play Allan, but ultimately turned it down.

Though she may not have been able to appear in the first movie, Gadot's interest in working with Robbie makes

to bring the two together. The sequel has not yet been confirmed by Warner Bros. or Mattel, though the latter's CEO Ynon Kreiz recently indicated that the movie's critical and commercial success had inspired interest in expanding the franchise further. Gerwig and Robbie have remained hesitant about wanting to move forward with , though haven't entirely closed the door on the possibility.

With the first ending on a mostly conclusive note for Robbie's iteration of the character, one of the better paths for a sequel would be to shift the focus to a new Barbie. Bringing Gadot in as the new lead would not only allow Robbie's Barbie to retain her powerful ending, but also better tie into the theme of diversity the first movie explored in its diverse cast by putting a BIPOC version of the character at the forefront and explore how they can positively impact the doll's legacy for future generations.

Source: