Cha Eun-woo’s Upcoming Drama, ‘The Wonder Fools’ Combines Superheroes, Adventure, and Fantasy

Cha Eun-woo stood out as the enigmatic, complex Kwon Seon-yul in the revenge thriller Wonderful World (2024), starkly contrasting his romantic hero portrayals. The sense of distance and indifference he built around him in the drama to shadow his motive and reality gave all the credibility to Seon-yul building up on the seriousness of the character and his situation while also maintaining the characteristic handsomeness that Cha Eun-woo is admired for. A more mature role, Seon-yul surely contributes to Cha’s filmography. Following Wonderful World, are the escapades of The Wonder Fools, starring him alongside Park Eun-bin, Kim Hae-Sook, and others. Interestingly, this new drama has superheroes, adventure, and fantasy with Cha Eun-woo, adding to the anticipation for the show.

Slated for release exclusively on Netflix, the web series is a “unique turn-of-the-century superpower comedy action adventure,” according to an article published by the streaming service. The Wonder Fools takes you back to the past, in the year 1999, and tells the tale of people who gain superhuman abilities out of nowhere but for the greater good when their town comes under threat.

The story starts rolling in the city of Haeseong, where Eun Chae-ni (Park Eun-bin) lives, a quirky woman often subject to chaotic, risky situations. Her only family is her grandmother Kim Jeon-bok (Kim Hae-sook), a flourishing restaurant owner with a shady past. One day, Chae-ni and the neighboring Son Kyeong-hoon (Choi Dae-hoon) and Kang Ro-bin (Im Seong-jae) get entangled in something that causes the three of them to get superpowers. However, these newly found abilities are far from perfect, resulting in more chaos, comedy, and action as they face off against criminals invading Haeseong.

Cha Eun-woo’s character, Lee Woon-jeong, hails from Seoul but relocates to Haeseong to take on the role of a civil servant at the city hall. Woon-jeong is a man of solid values, often coming out as rigid and unyielding in what he believes. There’s a lack of social finesse in the way he acts, making it challenging for others to relate to or connect with him. It’s hard to know what to make of him; while he possesses striking good looks, the complexity of his character often leaves people puzzled.

The Wonder Fools grow intriguing and racy when Haeseong becomes the ground of a disturbing pattern of people gone missing. For answers, Woon-jeong and Chae-ni dive deep into the shadows of what’s going on, together with Kyeong-hoon and Ro-bin. As they investigate, the stakes rise, putting them up against challenges along the way.

Adding to the sense of mystery in the story, there’s Ha Won-do (Son Hyun-joo)—calm, collected, and logical—however, there’s more to him than meets the eye. Beneath the surface lies a dark desire hidden from everyone around him. What seems to be true on the outside may not reflect his true nature.

Directed by Yoo In-sik, well known for his previous dramas like Doctor Romantic (2016-2023), Vagabond (2019), and Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022), his new work, The Wonder Fools, is expected to double down on Yoo’s creative expertise and seasoned storytelling techniques. The release date for the series is yet to be announced.