Will Ferrell’s Barbie character is reminiscent of a villainous CEO he played in a $468 million toy movie from a decade ago. Barbie was one of the most successful movies of 2023, making over $1.4 billion at the box office (via Box Office Mojo). Barbie was not only a box office success, but was also popular with audiences and critics for its originality and focus on themes such as feminism, identity, and capitalism. Despite not being the main protagonist, Will Ferrell’s character was a key part of exploring these ideas.

Ferrell is no stranger to playing villainous corporate figures. In 2001, he took on the role of the eccentric designer Mugatu in Zoolander, so his fictionalized portrayal of Mattel’s real-life CEO, Ynon Kreiz, was a natural fit. Ferrell’s officious character in Barbie is especially important because it contributed to the wider discourse about feminism and consumerism. Yet while Barbie is perhaps the best example in Ferrell’s career of this capacity for capitalist satire, it is not the only instance.

Will Ferrell Plays A Villainous CEO In Two Different Warner Bros Toy Movie Franchises

The Mattel CEO And President Business Were Obsessed With Perfection

When the Barbie trailer was released, many viewers noted clear similarities between Ferrell’s new role as the Mattel CEO and his old role as President Business from The Lego Movie. As the main antagonist in Barbie, the Mattel CEO’s goal was to ensure that no Barbies got out into the real world, so he could control them and thus continue profiting from their popularity. Likewise, President Business was determined to use the Kragle to exert his own authority over his domain.

The Mattel CEO’s need to control the toy world is reminiscent of Ferrell’s previous role as President Business because of their need for absolute control. President Business was determined to ensure that LEGO World stuck to his idea of perfection by creating walls between each section to keep the pieces in their “rightful place.” While perhaps more overtly villainous than the Mattel CEO’s plans, there is a clear parallel between their goals. Yet despite the pair being the main villains in a primary corporation with a need to control everything, there are also some distinct differences between the two characters.

Will Ferrell’s Barbie Character Ends Up Exactly Where He Began (Unlike The LEGO Movie Villain)

President Business Had A Change Of Heart

Ferrell’s role in both Barbie and The Lego Movie played to his comedic strengths, since President Business and the Mattel CEO are pretty much the same characters. In Barbie, the Mattel CEO initially presented himself as an ally and talked about wanting to change things so that Barbieland reflected the feminism and equality that was seen in the human world. However, by the end of Barbie, not much had changed. After all, Mattel was a businessman, and keeping Barbieland the same would ensure that he continued to make a profit.

In The Lego Movie, it’s clear that President Business is different from Barbie‘s Mattel CEO because his character has a change of heart during the finale. After President Business discovered that his son had based his character on a father who was obsessed with perfection, he realized it was time to change. President Business eventually removed the threat of the Kragle and, thanks to his son, he finally understood that the beauty of LEGO lay in allowing creativity to flow, as opposed to suppressing it.