A 'Parasite' Star Briefly Shines in 'The Marvels'
It's been quite a while since the last Marvel movie (specifically 6 months since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to be exact), so it's thrilling to finally dive back into the Marvel Cinematic Universe and see what else the studio has to offer. The Marvels has a tough bar to clear, particularly as fatigue over the MCU has arguably reached a fever pitch; without a payoff in sight like The Avengers or Avengers: Endgame, it's hard to keep audiences coming back with entries that just keep teasing tentpole movies that aren't even in development yet. If Marvel wants to keep people entertained, it's going to have to be by making quality movies that can stand out on their own, rather than serving up stepping stones to some distant release.
Thankfully, The Marvels is a breath of fresh air. It's silly, ridiculous, and similar in tone to say, Thor: Ragnarok, which premiered during the MCU's peak. One of the most notable parts of The Marvels (and by far the silliest) is when Monica Rambeau, Kamala Khan, and Carol Danvers travel to a strange new planet, filled with bright colors and welcoming people. It's all in their overall quest to stop Dar-Benn, the Kree's new leader, who's desperate to steal resources from other planets and bring them back to her home planet of Hala. But before they land, Carol has a major secret to reveal about the planet they're about to land on: she's married to the planet's royalty, Prince Yan.
Oh, and to add another fun element of surprise... the people there only communicate through singing.
While viewers may have been distracted by the hilarious dance sequence and zingers thrown back and forth between Monica, Kamala, and Carol as they acclimated to the planet, there's actually a notable star who plays the prince Carol is married to. In case you didn't recognize him at first, here's who he is.
Who plays Prince Yan in The Marvels?
Prince Yan is played by Park Seo-joon, a South Korean actor best known in the U.S. for his appearance in the Oscar-winning Parasite. Park plays Min-hyuk, who first introduces the Kims' son Ki-woo to the rich Parks, and helps him pose as a tutor to the family's young son. Although his role in the film is brief, it's still worth noting as the person who set off Parasite's unforgettable chain of events.
For those more familiar with South Korean shows, Park Seo-joon first began acting in 2011, and has since had roles in various shows (Netflix has a number of them) including Itaewon Class, What's Wrong with Secretary Kim, and the 2017 rom-com Fight for My Way. The Marvels is Park's Hollywood debut.
While Prince Yan had a memorable role in The Marvels, it's unlikely we'll see him again given his planet was in danger due to Dar-Benn's resource stealing. Captain Marvel also likely has other issues to attend to on other planets, so unless we get a flashback to this more comical part of her life, Prince Yan will be nothing but a fun aside in Captain Marvel's ongoing superhero career.
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