KPop Demon Huntershas become a veritable pop culture sensation, and the next step in expanding the I.P. may include casting live-action versions of the beloved animated characters. Since its release on June 20,KPop Demon Huntershas taken the world by storm, shattering records in both Netflix viewership and music streaming numbers worldwide.
Already, talks of a sequel and even alive-actionKPop Demon Huntershave been bubbling up in interviews with the creative team behind the film’s success, though nothing definitive has been confirmed as of yet. If the series truly was to expand into traditional filmmaking,it would be faced with the unenviable task of capturing the charisma of the movie’s characterswith real people.
The single biggest hurdle to casting a live-actionKPop Demon Huntersmovie would be finding actual superstar-level K-pop performers who can do justice to the film’s absurdly popular soundtrack while still managing to turn in good performances. It’s a rare talent that can act, sing, and dance well enough to portray one of the members of Huntr/x or the Saja Boys.
However, these limitations paradoxically make it easier to pick outwho would be worthy of playing the critically-acclaimed characters ofKPop Demon Hunters.Fan-casting might be an exercise in wish fulfillment, as the busy stars who hit all the right notes might not realistically ever have time to star in a live-action movie, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth trying.
10Jennie As Rumi
As the primary protagonist, Rumi is the single most important member of theKPop Demon Hunterscastto get right for a live-action movie. No one deserves the honor more than a member of one of the most popular K-pop girl groups in real life, Jennie.Jennie is the lead vocalist of Blackpink, an actual superpower of K-pop in the real world whom Huntr/x took heavy inspiration from.
Jennie would be perfect as Rumi, asshe’s used to being in a leading role in her own ensemble. Not only that, but Jennie actually has some talented on-screen performances already, making her debut onHBO’sThe Idolas Dyanne. She certainly has the strong acting chops necessary to embody Rumi’s complex emotional background, and the star power she’d bring to the project would be unmistakable.
9Cha Eun-woo As Jinu
Another character that would demand confidence and steady experience in show business is Jinu, the lead member of the Saja Boys and Rumi’s flirtatious rival. Few would be better suited to embody his duplicitous nature, effortless charm, and hypnotic singing voice thanCha Eun-woo of Astro fame, a dead ringer for Jinuin more ways than one.
Even though Cha isn’t the leader of his boy band in the same way Jinu is the star of the Saja Boys, he has an impressive acting resume, appearing inamazing K-dramaslikeMy Brilliant Lifeand action thrillers likeDecibel.Cha has the angelic singing voice, fluency in English, and the boyish charm he needs to embody Jinu.
8Chuu As Zoey
The heart and soul of Huntr/x,Zoey has a happy-go-lucky personality to help balance out the serious business of slaying demonsand the pressure of international stardom. To find the perfect fit for Zoey, one must look no further than Chuu, a singer, actor, and former member of the South Korean girl group Loona.
Chuu’s good-natured philanthropy and efforts to raise awareness of global issues in her own self-produced web series isindicative of the optimistic spirit Zoey is known for. It also helps that she’s an accomplished actor as well, charming audiences the world over in the romantic comedy seriesMy Girlfriend Is the Man!.
7SinB As Mira
The fierce, stoic backbone of the Huntr/x trio, Mira is a decorated warrior and impeccable performer whose steadfast determination in multiple arenas would be a real challenge to portray. Luckily, the perfect answer exists in the form of SinB, a singer, dancer, and actor who is an important member of two K-pop idol groups, GFriend and Viviz.
SinB is infamous for the kind of icy facial expressions Mira is capable of, even if her true personality beneath it all is another story entirely. Though she has less acting experience, having only appeared on a children’s show calledThe Fairies in my Arms, SinB is certainly talented and creative enough to get under Mira’s skin and has been seen rocking a similar red hairstyle in the past.
6San As Abby
Moving on to the auxiliary members of the Saja Boys, who get far less characterization and time in the spotlight compared to their leader, extensive acting experience becomes far less important. It’s their personalities that need to be captured in a brief snapshot, but in Abby Saja’s case, Choi San has both the acting skill and the idol experience necessary.
As the particularly built lead vocalist of the boy group ATEEZ,San has demonstrated he’d have no problem maintaining Abby’s signature abs in a live-action movie. His real-life skills as a 3rd dan blackbelt in Taekwondo would be fantastic for a live-actionKPop Demon Huntersmovie’s fight scenes, and he’s proven an affinity for Abby’s bright reddish-pink hair.
5Felix As Romance
The most flirtatious of the Saja Boys, Romance is a standout character known for his unwavering commitment to seduction. While the idol industry is ripe with this archetype,Romance deserves a heavy hitter like Felix of Stray Kids fame to bring his romantic nature to life. Felix is the rare kind of fashion star that could actually have the hope of bringing the exaggerated swagger of Romance to live-action.
Felix’s signature platinum-blonde mullet is daringly close to Romance’s outrageous cartoon hairdo, and he might be one of the few men in the world who could actually pull it off in real life. Also a Taekwondo practitioner, Felix would be no slouch in the movie’s action choreography, and his rapping skills are aclose match forKPop Demon Hunters' music.
4JunJi As Mystery
True to his name, Mystery is the most enigmatic member of the Saja Boys and the entire cast ofKPop Demon Huntersin general, even with most of his face hidden. In all honesty, it wouldn’t take that much acting ability to portray Mystery accurately, and in terms of raw vibes, it’s hard to imagine a better fit than JunJi of OnlyOneOf fame.
The lead vocalist of his group, JunJi certainly has the required musical ability to star as the demonic idol. More importantly, he’s sported an eerily similar look to Mystery’s trademark eye-covering bangs before,likely being the inspiration behind Mystery’s look in the first place. JunJi simply has to play Mystery just out of sheer respect for that fact, if nothing else.
3Park Ji-hoon As Baby
Baby Saja embodies the idea of childlike whimsy and boyish charm to an absurd degree, marketing himself as a literal baby through props, pouting, and literally saying “goo goo gaga” as a catchphrase. Though Park Ji-hoon is one of the most decorated actors among the potential cast for a live-actionKPop Demon Hunters, it’s hard to deny the role he’d be perfect for is Baby Saja.
Park first rose to fame as a member of the K-pop boy group Wanna One, butstarted his career in show business as a child actor.He certainly has the experience to develop a childish persona on a pop idol stage, and his clean-shaven appeal may just override his impressive acting career when it comes to who he should play in a live-actionKPop Demon Hunters.
2Han Hyo-joo As Celine
On the polar opposite end of the spectrum, Celine is the most mature, serious member of theKPop Demon Hunterscast, acting as Rumi’s mother figure and mentor in the fight against demons. Though she was formerly part of a girl group herself, Celine doesn’t do much singing, meaning the casting department for a live-action movie could focus on a strong actor.
In terms of esteemed Korean actors in Celine’s age range, Han Hyo-joo could be the perfect catch. Garnering critical acclaim for her appearances inperiod epics likeDong Yiand shows likeBrilliant Legacy,Han could lend a real weight to the important emotional anchor of the movie, evoking the demon hunters of the past.
1Jun Seok-ho As Bobby
The flustered and affable manager of Huntr/x, Bobby is a more humorous character who would require an actor with serious comedic talent. In terms of both looks and comedic ability, Jun Seok-ho is a dead ringer for Bobby.
As demonstrated in roles like the incompetent magistrate in the historical drama seriesKingdom,Jun is amazing as the kind of bumbling background characterthat supports an already well-rounded cast with his hilarious antics. Most recently, Jun gained a notable amount of star power as Choi Woo-seok inSquid Game, a necessary boost to a live-actionKPop Demon Hunters' marquee value in the West.
