Lee Byung-hun is known for his work as villains and heroes in Squid Game, KPop Demon Hunters, and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. This week, U.S. audiences can see him as a morally gray character in No Other Choice, where he plays Yoo Man-su, a paper company manager who was laid off. Based on the novel The Ax by Donald Westlake, he is hunting other potential candidates for a job he’s after.

KPop Demon Hunters has become a global phenomenon, becoming the #1 movie of all time on Netflix and hitting the top ten list in the U.S. and worldwide on Spotify in 2025. Lee voiced Gwi-Ma, the antagonist in the Netflix and Sony animated film, and he even surprised and excited audiences by reprising his role at KCON LA 2025.

“So my character, Gwi-Ma, in Kpop Demon Hunters is the absolute evil,” Lee tells Nerd Reactor. “I necessarily didn’t need to be convinced by this character. On a personal note, it was really for my kids because most of my filmography, my kids are not able to watch because there are a lot of R-rated movies. I wanted to be a part of something that I can enjoy alongside my kids. So this project was really fun, and it was an opportunity for me to do voice acting.”

Although Lee didn’t have to convince himself in KPop Demon Hunters, he did want to understand the character of Man-su in No Other Choice.

“I think the biggest assignment for me with this project was being convinced by this character,” Mr. Lee said. “Because in order to truly embody a character’s point of view, I must understand him and be convinced by him, so that in front of the camera, I can, in turn, convince the audience.”

Director Park Chan-wook (Oldboy) wanted to have the audience change their tune about Man-su.

“Just because you lose your job or life becomes a little bit harder, it’s not natural for the average person to do extreme actions,” the actor explained. “In the beginning, we’re rooting for Man-su; however, we go more into an objective view where he does some questionable actions. And then we might fall back into Man-su’s POV where we’re rooting for him. Director Park’s intentions were for the audience to go back and forth in the movie.”

About No Other Choice

Synopsis: From director Park Chan-wook and based on Donald E. Westlake’s novel THE AX, the story follows Man-su on his desperate hunt for a new job after his abrupt layoff from the paper company he served for 25 years.

The film is directed by Park Chan-Wook and written by Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyoung-mi, Don McKellar and Jahye Lee. It’s produced by Park Chan-wook and Back Jisun.

The cast includes Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran and Cha Seung-won.

No Other Choice releases in U.S. theaters on December 25, 2025.