Byun Wooseok Cast as Lead in Netflix's "Solo Leveling"

Actor Byun Wooseok cast as the lead in "Solo Leveling." Netflix

On July 10, Netflix announced that actor Byun Wooseok has been cast as the lead character, Sung Jinwoo, in its new series "Solo Leveling."

"Solo Leveling" is a globally popular intellectual property (IP) that was serialized as a web novel and webtoon on Kakao Page, achieving a cumulative global view count of 14.3 billion. It was also adapted into an animation, which won nine awards?including "Anime of the Year"?at the 2025 Crunchyroll Awards, marking the first time a Korean animation received this honor.

The live-action series will be produced using world-class VFX technology. It tells the story of hunters who protect the real world from monsters that appear beyond the gate. The protagonist, Sung Jinwoo, played by Byun Wooseok, starts as the weakest "E-rank hunter," but awakens in the face of death and grows to become the strongest hunter destined to save humanity.

The series will be directed by Lee Haejun, known for the films "Castaway on the Moon" (2009) and "Ashfall" (2019), and Kim Byungseo, who directed "Cold Eyes" (2013). Production will be a joint effort between Kakao Entertainment and Sanai Pictures.