‘The Marvels’ Director Nia DaCosta Reveals Why She Casted Park Seo-joon

Nia DaCosta, the director and co-writer of The Marvels, the upcoming addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), recently held a virtual press conference for the film. During the press conference, she divulged the pivotal moment that led her to cast K-drama favourite Park Seo-joon in the highly-anticipated box office film. Through The Marvels, Park Seo-joon will be making his Hollywood debut, after more than a decade in the Korean entertainment scene.

The Marvels is the sequel film to 2019’s Captain Marvel, and follows the namesake Captain Marvel aka Carol Danvers, played by Brie Larson, as she traverses different planets with two other superheroes. After investigating a wormhole linked to the blue-skinned Kree, Monica Rambeau, portrayed by Tenoyak Parris, joins forces with Captain Marvel and Ms Marvel aka Kamala Khan, who is played by Iman Vellani. The film will present Park Seo-joon’s first foray into the layered universe of the MCU as Prince Yan D’Aladna, the love interest of Captain Marvel.

As for Nia DaCosta’s reason behind casting Park Seo-joon as Prince Yan, the 34-year-old director shared that she was incredibly moved by his performance in Itaewon Class (2020). She thoroughly enjoyed his powerful portrayal of male lead Park Saeroyi, after binging the drama during COVID-19. Nia DaCosta also expressed that she has been a longtime fan of Korean pop culture, especially dramas. When she was offered the opportunity to direct The Marvels, Park came to mind instantly and the rest, as they say, was history. Amidst growing curiosity, Nia DaCosta has additionally confirmed that Park’s appearance in the film is “short but impactful”. 

This move to cast Park Seo-joon in The Marvels is another step forward for fans of the Hallyu Wave. After all, the Korean entertainment biz has been making an indelible mark as a powerhouse of global influence, with the undeniable presence of K-pop and K-dramas. Park Seo-joon is the third Korean actor to be brought into the MCU, following Claudia Kim who acted in the 2015 Avengers: The Age of Ultron and Ma Dong-seok who appeared in Eternals (2021).

Nia DaCosta, at 34-years-old, is the youngest and first-ever Black female director of the MCU. The Marvels is part of the MCU’s Phase Five of films, being the 33rd film that has taken direct inspiration from the original Marvel comics.