“The Marvels” Director Nia DaCosta Is A Certified K-Content Lover

Nia DaCosta, the director of the upcoming superhero movie The Marvels, recently revealed her love for Korean pop culture.

The Marvels’ Director Nia DaCosta | Cine21

The Marvels not only marks DaCosta’s debut as a director under the iconic franchise of Marvel but also the international debut of actor Park Seok Joon as Prince Yan.

Park Seo Joon as Prince Yan | Marvel

Previously, the director had revealed that she decided to approach Park for the role after she watched his performance in the 2020 hit K-Drama Itaewon Class.

Poster of “Itaewon Class” | IMDb

It turns out that statement was only a sneak peek of her love for Korean content. Dacosta delved into her Hallyu appreciation in more detail during a recent interview.

On November 7, Nia DaCosta joined a virtual press conference for The Marvels, revealing that joining the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) as a director was a big deal for her since she was a longtime fan of the franchise.

Poster of “The Marvels,” directed by Nia DaCosta | Marvel

Talking about her fondness for Korean content, DaCosta surprisingly revealed that she has been an avid fan since her teenage years.

When I was younger, around 17 to 19 years old, I was deeply into Korean pop culture, including K-drama, movies, and K-pop, regardless of the genre.

— Nia DaCosta

Given that DaCosta is an ’89-liner, it is evident that she was a fan of Korean pop culture since the early 2000s, way before it got the level of global recognition it has today!

In fact, she was such a devoted audience of Korean content that her favorite celebrity was Yoo Jae Suk. Though he is one of the most beloved celebrities in South Korea, when Dacosta was in her teenage, only the real Korean pop culture enthusiasts would have known about him well enough to name him as a favorite.

I watched a lot of dramas, but I watched reality shows too, and when asked who I liked the most, I used to say Yoo Jae Suk.

— Nia DaCosta

DaCosta then named a few of her K-Drama favorites, which all turned out to be classics like My Lovely Sam Soon, On Ai, and Coffee Prince. She also mentioned liking the 2023 movie Soulmate, starring Kim Da Mi, who was also Park Seo Joon’s co-star in Itaewon Class.

| Hancinema | Hancinema

 

| Hancinema

Meanwhile, The Marvels, starring actors like Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, and Park Seo Joon, is set to be released theatrically on November 10.