Captain Marvel 2 Star Shares His Shocked First Reaction To MCU Audition
Park Seo-joon shares his first reaction when he heard Marvel Studios wanted to talk to him about joining the cast of The Marvels. Director Nia DaCosta’s sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel is set for release in 2023. The film will pick up with Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 4, introducing her to an adult Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani)—who will make her MCU debut in Disney+’s Ms. Marvel. Late last year, it was confirmed that South Korean actor, Park, would be joining The Marvels’ cast as well.
32-year-old Park is one of the most recognizable actors working in South Korea today. He’s appeared in Fight for My Way, What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim, The Divine Fury, and most recently the hit K-drama Itaewon Class. Audiences in the West will likely recognize him from his role in Bong Joon-Ho’s Oscar-winning thriller Parasite, where he played Min-Hyuk: the wealthy friend of Kim Ki-Woo (Choi Woo-Shik) who gets him the tutoring job in that wealthy household. Now, Park is on the verge of making his MCU debut.
In a recent interview with The Guardian, Park talked about being shocked Marvel Studios even wanted to speak with him. Without revealing anything about his role, he went on to talk about how nervous he was at first. Read the full quote below:
“When I first heard that the Marvel Cinematic Universe wanted to speak with me, I couldn’t believe it. I actually couldn’t believe it. I’m not someone who has a fear of challenges, but whether I am filming in South Korea or abroad, everything is a challenge for me. So, I did feel some nerves at first. But everyone was so helpful and welcoming that I was able to find my feet really quickly.”
Following Park’s casting announcement, some speculated he could be playing Bruce Banner's successor, Amadeus Cho, the best-known Korean superhero in Marvel Comics. However, not only is Park too old to play a teen, but Amadeus has next to no direct connection to Captain Marvel or “the Marvels.” It’s more likely that Park will play someone like Noh-Varr a.k.a. Marvel Boy—a soldier of the Kree Empire whose ship crashes down to Earth, killing his parents and girlfriend. In the comics, the ship in New Jersey—where some of the filming for The Marvels took place.
Park’s role in The Marvels makes him the third major South Korean star to join the MCU following Avengers: Age of Ultron’s Claudia Kim and Eternals’ Don Lee. It’s possible he won’t be playing a super-powered character in the film, but rather a supporting character like an agent of S.W.O.R.D., who are expected to play a significant role in The Marvels and Disney+’s Secret Invasion. Park is a box office draw in South Korea, which is one of the top five biggest film markets in the world. It seems safe to say Marvel Studios didn’t reach out to him if they’d didn’t want his role to expand beyond The Marvels.
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Source: The Guardian