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With Lee Byung-heon most likely leaving the IRIS franchise behind when the series ends later this month, how would you feel about Kwon Sang-woo stepping in as the next leading man? According to Kwon himself, he was offered that possibility.
On December 11, he appeared on the KBS morning show Yeo Yoo Man Man to say, “These days, I’m enjoying watching IRIS. Actually, the movie I’m filming now (Into the Gunfire) is being made by the same production company as IRIS, and I received an offer to be in IRIS 2.”
However, a rep from Kwon’s side made sure to clarify the situation in a phone interview with My Daily on the 11th: “Kwon Sang-woo is currently filming the movie Into the Gunfire, and IRIS hasn’t ended yet. Casting talks aren’t yet serious. When he met with the production company president, he was asked lightly, ‘What do you think of doing it?’ IRIS 2 doesn’t yet have a director or actors, and it’s not time for casting talks yet. He was only expressing that he likes the show. Kwon Sang-woo isn’t the type to decide on a project easily. Currently, he’s fielding a lot of offers within Korea and from abroad. Of course, if he ends up shooting IRIS 2 that would be great, but the script and role may change. He plans to focus on his acting activities beginning next year.”
(Talk about protesting too much, eh? In my overactive imagination, I am seeing two possible scenarios: Either they’re trying to keep Kwon’s schedule wide open for other possibilities and don’t want to commit, or he made a faux pas by mentioning IRIS, pissed of people at Taewon, and has to now backtrack. Note that I’m making all this up in my head, but it’s amusing to ponder.)
Despite all that backpedaling and the fact that it seems too early to seriously consider casting, I’d actually like to see Kwon Sang-woo playing a spy in IRIS 2. He’s had a rough couple of years, which is partly bad luck but also partly due to questionable choices. I think he’d be a great successor for Lee Byung-heon as a recognizable Hallyu star who would have as much to gain from the role as the drama would for having him. He’s still famous, but he hasn’t had a good role in years and his post-army career has been less successful than his buddies like Song Seung-heon and So Ji-sub, populated by one disappointment after another. (His recent projects: melodrama Bad Love, weepie flop More than Blue, and underwhelming trendy drama Cinderella Man.)
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