Marvel Adds Ken Leung to the Inhumans Family

Like the real universe, the Marvel cinematic/television universe continues to expand. Ken Leung is the latest newbie, joining the Marvel’s Inhumans cast.

Hoo boy, Marvel seems to have a busy 2017 lined up. In addition to highly anticipated movies like Spider-Man: Homecoming, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and Thor: Ragnorak, the mammoth studio will debut two new shows on Netflix: Iron Fist and the Defenders crossover miniseries. With all this going on, Inhumans became somewhat lost in the shuffle.

Marvel thrives on publicity, like how sharks need to swim. So, in an effort to drum up hype for their misfit project, they have spent the past few days releasing casting announcements into the void Internet.

First, Anson Mount, best known for playing the lead in AMC’s Hell on Wheels, nabbed the role of Inhumans ruler Black Bolt. Then, Serinda Swan, a Canadian actress who’s bounced around an assortment of short-lived shows and currently has a recurring part on NBC’s Chicago Fire, was cast as Medusa, queen of the Inhumans.

And now, we have our Karnak. He will be played by Ken Leung, aka Miles Straume from Lost. You might also recognize him from his one-scene cameo as Admiral Statura in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Or his blink-and-you-miss-it appearance as the porcupine mutant in X-Men: The Last Stand. (Coincidentally, the X-Men are the only reason we’re getting an Inhumans TV show in the first place.)

As for Karnak, he appears as the cousin and most trusted advisor of Black Bolt. An expert strategist and proficient martial artist, he has the ability to spot – and exploit – weaknesses in everything, from people to buildings. Marvel featured Karnak in the Inhumans comics since their introduction in 1965. Although, he only received his first solo series in 2015.

Exactly what are the Inhumans, though? Introduced in Fantastic Four #45, they’re basically like the X-Men, but rather than being born mutants, they acquire their powers through exposure to a substance called Terrigen Mist. The comics by and large follow the adventures of their rulers, the Royal Family. Onscreen, they have appeared in multiple animated Fantastic Four TV series as well as seasons 2 and 3 of ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Originally, Marvel planned to turn Inhumans into a feature-length movie, scheduled for release in 2018. But then, they pushed it back to 2019 to make room for Spider-Man: Homecoming before Marvel scrapped the project altogether. Now, it’s an eight-episode TV show that will air two installments in IMAX theaters and six on ABC.

We’re just happy that Leung is getting work. Like many other Lost alumni, he has been woefully underused since the landmark ABC show ended its run in 2010. If nothing else, participating in a Marvel project does wonders for actors’ profiles. Maybe the next time Hollywood needs deadpan snark, they’ll call on him instead of Chris Pratt.

Marvel’s Inhumans will screen in IMAX for two weeks starting on Sept. 4, 2017 before moving to ABC.

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