Lee Hong Nae in Talks to Join Netflix’s Live-Action Solo Leveling

Lee Hong Nae is being considered for Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Solo Leveling, adding another closely watched name to one of the most anticipated Korean genre projects currently in development.

According to a July 20 report cited by Soompi, the actor has been linked to the upcoming series, but his side has stressed that the matter is not finalized. His agency said he has received an offer to appear and that no confirmation has been made yet. That distinction matters: the project is attracting heavy attention, but the casting process is still moving through talks rather than a fully announced ensemble.

If Lee accepts, he is reportedly being considered for Kang Tae Sik, a B-rank hunter connected to the Surveillance Division of the Korean Hunters Association. In the original Solo Leveling story, Kang Tae Sik is a villainous figure, which would give Lee a role with a sharper edge than a straightforward ally or procedural supporting part.

A High-Profile Role in a Global Franchise

Solo Leveling began as a Korean web novel before expanding into a webtoon and later an animated series. Its popularity has made it one of the clearest examples of Korean digital storytelling moving across formats and borders, from online serialization to global screen adaptation. The live-action version is therefore being watched not only as a new drama, but also as a test of how a large fantasy-action property can be translated into a production led by Korean talent.

The story follows Sung Jin Woo, introduced as an E-rank Hunter, the lowest tier among people tasked with defending the real world from monsters that emerge through mysterious Gates. After a near-death experience, he gains an unusual ability to grow stronger, or level up, in a way no other hunter can. That transformation turns him from an overlooked survivor into a central figure in humanity’s fight against increasingly dangerous threats.

Byeon Woo Seok has already been confirmed to play Sung Jin Woo, placing him at the center of a series with built-in international recognition. The role arrives after the actor’s rise as a major drama name, and the casting has helped push the adaptation into mainstream entertainment conversation beyond existing fans of the source material.

Lee Hong Nae’s Recent Momentum

Lee Hong Nae’s possible addition would bring an actor with recent genre and character-driven experience into the project. He drew attention through TVING’s The Legend of Kitchen Soldier and also appeared in Netflix’s The East Palace, giving him recent credits across streaming and drama spaces that overlap naturally with the kind of audience likely to follow Solo Leveling.

Kang Tae Sik could also be a useful part for an actor looking to leave a concentrated impression. In many fantasy-action stories, morally dark supporting characters help define the danger of the world before larger conflicts fully open up. For a live-action adaptation, a role like this can do more than reproduce plot points; it can help establish the rules, institutional tensions, and human threats surrounding the hunters.

The reported casting talks come as several other names have been connected to the series. Han So Hee and Kang You Seok are in talks for the roles of Cha Hae In and Yoo Jin Ho, respectively, while Kang Mina, Rain, and Lee Sung Min have also been reported as being in discussions for the cast. None of those talks should be treated as final unless the production or the actors’ representatives confirm them, but the list shows the scale of ambition around the adaptation.

Why the Adaptation Is Drawing Attention

The challenge for Netflix’s Solo Leveling is unusually clear. The source material is known for rapid progression, stylized action, monsters, ranking systems, and dramatic power shifts. Those elements work naturally in illustration and animation, but live action requires choices about visual effects, fight choreography, pacing, and how much internal game-like logic can be presented without slowing the drama.

That is why each casting report is being read closely. The actors will need to ground a heightened fantasy world while still making its stakes feel immediate. Sung Jin Woo’s transformation may be the central arc, but supporting characters such as hunters, association figures, rivals, and antagonists will shape whether the series feels like a believable ecosystem or simply a sequence of set pieces.

For now, Lee Hong Nae’s involvement remains at the offer stage. The confirmed piece is that Byeon Woo Seok will lead the series as Sung Jin Woo, while other reported roles are still pending. More details on production timing, additional confirmed cast members, and release plans are expected to determine how quickly Netflix’s Solo Leveling moves from high-profile adaptation news into a concrete series rollout.