Nobody in their right mind could claim that Ryan Gosling isn’t one of the greatest and most consistent actors of his generation, but you can definitely say with the utmost certainty that he’s never exactly been what you’d call a particularly bankable or successful action hero.
In fact, The Fall Guy looks as though it could finally hit the sweet spot his filmography has been missing by combining genuine critical acclaim with box office success, something that’s been noticeably lacking any time he’s chosen to play in that particular sandbox.
Admittedly, it hasn’t happened too often, but the results haven’t been great. Gangster Squad was roundly panned and failed to make much of a splash in theaters, while the egregiously overlooked The Nice Guys was allowed to bomb despite being one of the modern age’s best buddy cop capers. Blade Runner 2049 flopped hard, and Netflix’s The Gray Man was remarkably uninteresting for something that cost so much.
However, based on the trailer, the potential of Gosling channeling the muscular meathead stylings of Barbie‘s Ken with the physical comedy and slapstick pratfalls that made The Nice Guys‘ Holland March so memorable could be a winning formula.
When you throw John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, and Bullet Train‘s David Leitch into the mix as director and sprinkle it with sizzling chemistry opposite the always-reliable Emily Blunt, then The Fall Guy could finally establish Gosling as a dual-pronged action hero for the very first time ever. There aren’t many strings his bow doesn’t have, but this one has been sorely missing.