Solo Leveling's Newest Series Is Facing A Challenge No One Could Have Predicted

Despite its immense popularity and demand, Solo Leveling's future is still up in the air as far as the anime is concerned. And with no confirmation of Season 3 just yet, the series' next big release looks like it will come in the form of the Netflix live-action series instead.

Given Netflix's hit-or-miss record with anime live-action adaptations, there is rightly plenty of skepticism surrounding the live-action Solo Leveling series despite its very promising cast. A series as fantastical as Solo Leveling poses many unique challenges when it comes to translating it into live-action. That said, the series just got a major update from its main star, and its first and foremost challenge is rather unexpected.

Solo Leveling's Star Confirms Its Biggest Live-Action Challenge Is Its Fights

Byeon Woo-seok, who is set to play Jinwoo in Netflix's Solo Leveling, recently made an appearance at the Hong Kong Comic Con 2026, where, during a dedicated panel, the Perfect Crown and Lovely Runner star spoke extensively about the upcoming live-action series. As revealed on his Weverse page a few weeks prior, Solo Leveling's live-action has already begun filming, and during his panel at Comic Con, Byeon Woo-seok opened up about some of the hurdles he's faced in the process of filming the series so far.

A clip of the Q&A session was shared by a fan on X wherein Woo-seok interestingly revealed that one of the biggest challenges of playing Jinwoo has actually been the action scenes, or rather, emoting during these action scenes. Woo-seok also expressed the challenges of realistically executing these action scenes, though he dubbed it a fun challenge that he seems ready to take on. His full response reads:

"Right now, as I film Solo Leveling and do action scenes, I've realized after trying it that only as much as your body is prepared comes out, and action is something that truly cannot lie or be faked.

It's difficult, but I think it's also that much fun. And now, that character doesn't just have action; even within that action, I have to express emotions. I think that part is quite fun and interesting."

Solo Leveling is best known for its explosive, fast-paced fights. A lot goes on during these fights, and Jinwoo's internal monologue is nearly always present, and it makes sense that this poses the unique challenge of executing these big, flashy combat moves while also staying in character down to the smallest of micro-expressions.

Byeon Woo-seok's experience with action-heavy acting roles is also quite limited, with perhaps his role as Ryu Sh-oh in Strong Girl Nam-soon coming the closest to including some action. That said, it's still incomparable to the likes of which will be demanded by the Solo Leveling live-action, so it makes sense for a combat-heavy role such as Sung Jinwoo to pose a bit of a challenge.

That said, there is no doubt that this is only a small bump in the road for Byeon Woo-seok, soon to be overcome. Perhaps the most promising sign of this is that during the same panel, Woo-seok also revealed he was a fan of the original series, saying, "I've always been a huge fan of Solo Leveling, so I was incredibly excited when I first heard the news."

In the same breath, he also directly addressed the pressure surrounding the role, adding, "But along with that joy, I also felt a little pressure, because I know how much this series is loved by fans all over the world." However, this also means he will definitely be putting his all into the role.

Solo Leveling's Biggest Live-Action Hurdle Is Yet To Come

All that said, Netflix's live-action Solo Leveling still has one even bigger challenge to contend with, and it's the most obvious one—the CGI. Whether it's the dungeon gates, the hunters' abilities, or the magic beasts themselves, a good chunk of Solo Leveling's live-action rests on post-production.

As such, the execution of the series' special effects and CGI could make or break the series, and unfortunately, there's no way of ascertaining Netflix's approach until a teaser or the series itself releases. Netflix K-dramas like Alchemy of Souls have previously proved that CGI can successfully make even the fantastical look realistic and well-incorporated with a big enough budget, and hopefully Solo Leveling's live-action is similarly blessed in that regard.

Netflix's live-action One Piece has also proved that a balance of practical effects and CGI can work wonders, though much of the execution rests on the staff and direction of the series. As such, fans can only hope for an equally talented and dedicated production staff for Solo Leveling, though so far it's clear that the cast, including Byeon Woo-seok, are doing their best at bringing this beloved series to life.