How The Marvels star Park Seo-joon got his MCU role

Park Seo-joon is set to make his Hollywood debut in the MCU movie The Marvels as Prince Yun. The A-list Korean actor got his grand opportunity thanks to one of his well-known K-drama roles.

For South Koreans and K-drama fans, Park has been an A-list actor for years having some of the most well-recognized roles in Korean entertainment. He’s often been dubbed as a romance prince thanks to his characters in dramas like What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim.

Over the past few years, Park has deviated away from romance to focus on more serious genres like The Divine Fury, Concrete Utopia, and his new role as Prince Yun in The Marvels.

Following Don Lee who was the first South Korean actor in the MCU, how did Park get the role? Fans wouldn’t be surprised it’s thanks to one of his famed webtoon K-drama roles.

The Marvels Park Seo-joon starred in a 2020 webtoon K-drama

What led to Park’s breakthrough into Hollywood in the MCU is thanks to his role as Park Sae-ro-yi in the webtoon K-drama Itaewon Class.

According to NME, director Nia DaCosta told South Korean magazine Cine21 that she immediately knew who to cast for Prince Yun after watching Itaewon Class.

SBS Star reported that it all started during COVID-19. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, I was recommended Itaewon Class by some of my friends who told me that I would like the show. I love K-dramas. It’s been years since I’ve been into them. It all started in my teenage years. My favorites were On Air, Soulmate, and My Lovely Sam Soon,” said DaCosta.

She binge-watched Itaewon Class and was “impressed” by Park’s acting and later watched some of his other works. Sooner rather than later, DaCosta was offered to direct The Marvels. “When I was offered to direct The Marvels, I thought hard on who to choose for the role of Prince Yan. Then, suddenly, Park Seo Jun came to my mind,” she explained.

In the 2020 K-drama, Park played the main lead as Sae-ro-yi. The character is expelled from school for defending a student from a rich bully and chaebol heir. Sometime later, his father is killed by the same bully due to reckless driving. Angered about losing his father, he goes after the bully and lands himself in jail for three years.

Once released, he tries to change his life around by opening a bar-restaurant in Itaewon. He finds himself at odds with the bully again. His father happens to own the most successful chain of bar-restaurants in the city.

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