Summary
K-dramaicon Park Seo-joon made his Hollywood debut inThe Marvels, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe arguably wasted the 35-year-old actor. 2023 was a big year forPark Seo-joon’s career, ashe returned to the world of K-dramas withGyeongseong Creature. The Netflix series was his first leading TV role sinceItaewon Class, one of thebest K-dramas of all time. Park Seo-joon’s role inThe Marvelswas also a big deal, especially because it is relatively uncommon for established K-drama stars to appear in Hollywood productions. He had previously starred in 2023’sDreamandConcrete Utopiabefore appearing inThe Marvels.
Around a month after he made his Hollywood debut, Park Seo-joon’sGyeongseong Creaturepremiered to mixed reviews on Netflix on December 2023. WhileGyeongseong Creaturehad flaws, it ended on a massive cliffhanger and will now return as a very different show. Rather than a period piece set during the final days of World War II, the webseries starringPark Seo-joon and Han So-heewill take place in 2024. Seeing more of Tae-sang – or Ho-jae, according to the official synopsis – inGyeongseong Creature2 is exciting, even more so after revisiting Park Seo-joon’s way-too-short appearance in the MCU.
10 Best K-Dramas Like Park Seo-joon & Han So-hee’s Gyeongseong Creature
Gyeongseong Creature’s second season is due to be released sometime in 2024, but there are plenty of other K-dramas to watch while waiting.
The Marvels Totally Wasted Park Seo-joon As Prince Yan
Prince Yan Only Appears In A Couple Of Scenes
Park Seo-joon played Prince Yan of Aladna, Captain Marvel’s husband, inThe Marvels. The movie, which was a direct sequel toCaptain Marvel(2019) but took place in the present day following the events ofAvengers: Endgame(2019), saw Carol Danvers having to learn how to work alongside Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan. The three heroes, who by then were switching places randomly whenever they were using their powers, were running from Dar-Benn and the Kree Empire when Carol suggested they go to Aladna. There, audiences are introduced to a world where people only communicate by singing.
Be it as the energetic Dong-man or the subtle Sae-ro-yi, Park Seo-joon usually steals the show in his K-dramas.
Enter Prince Yan, who refers to Captain Marvel as “princess” and turns out to be her husband. Not much is revealed about Prince Yan and Carol Danvers’ past, with their marriage playing out as a joke.Park Seo-joon and Brie Larson perform a charming dancing numberwhile the rest of the characters sing, which is then interrupted by the arrival of Dar-Benn. Prince Yan and his men stand between the Kree and the heroes to buy them some time, and after a brief fight, Park Seo-joon’s character is nowhere to be seen.
Park Seo-joon’s Best K-Dramas Roles & Why He’s So Popular
Park Seo-joon Has Been In Many K-Drama Classics
Park Seo-joon’s career goes back to 2011, with his first TV role being Lee Si-woo inDream High 2. His breakout role was in 2016’sHwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth, where he played Moo Myung / Kim Sun-woo. A year later, he played one of fourlead characters inFight For My Way, a fan-favorite slice-of-life K-drama. Following the success ofFight For My Way, Park Seo-joon starred in 2018’sWhat’s Wrong with Secretary Kim, one of the most popular K-dramas of the last few years. In 2020, the actor shined as Park Sae-royi inItaewon Class.
2023-2024
2020
2018
2017
Ko Dong-man
Apart from a cameo inRecord of Youth, Park Seo-joon would only return to the small screen at the end of 2023 withGyeongseong Creature. Having played leading roles in three K-drama classics, Park Seo-joon has established himself as one of the most talented and popular Korean actors of the decade. The star usually brings a lot of humor and levity to his characters, although he has also given plenty of emotional performances. Be it as the energetic Dong-man or the subtle Sae-ro-yi, Park usually steals the show in his K-dramas.
Prince Yan Was Fun, But I Would’ve Liked To See More Of Park Seo-joon
The Marvels Didn’t Give Park Seo-joon A Lot Of Time To Shine
Seeing Park Seo-joon sing and dance in a Hollywood movie was incredibly exciting. Not only that, but his character got to have a brief fighting scene against the Kree. Still, I would have loved to see more of Prince Yan inThe Marvels. The fact that Park was featured somewhat significantly in the marketing campaign leading up toThe Marvels’ release made me even more disappointed that his role was so small. That said,The Marvelsalready had a lot going on between the three heroes, the Kree, and Nick Fury.
Prince Yan debuted in Marvel Comics in 2014.
Aladna was just a small part of the story – it’s where the movie stops to breathe for a while before Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Monica Rambeau can suit up and return to action. Whether Prince Yan will ever appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe again is difficult to say, especially because of just how many one-off character appearances there have been in the franchise. If Park Seo-joon ever makes another Hollywood project, I hope it is a more substantial role that lets theK-dramastar show more of his range.
The Marvels
Cast
The Marvels follows Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, whose powers entwine with Jersey City super-fan Kamala Khan and S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. As unintended consequences destabilize the universe, the trio must collaborate to navigate a new threat linked to a Kree revolutionary and an anomalous wormhole.
