Kicking off the New Year, fresh intel on the live-action Solo Leveling series has surfaced, purporting that the first season of the adaptation is aiming for a "quality over quantity" production.
According to those reports, the first season will only consist of 7 episodes. Keep in mind that the first season of the anime from A-1 Pictures consisted of 12 episodes.
However, before fans accuse Netflix of rushing through the story, it's important to note that the anime consisted of 12 episodes, averaging 20-25 minutes in length.
While nothing has been officially confirmed at this stage, Netflix typically allows its live-action adaptations to run anywhere from roughly 40 to 75 minutes per episode.
Keep in mind that the live-action YuYu Hakushu adaptation consisted of just 5 episodes but they ranged from 44-55 minutes in length. Likewise, the debut season for the live-action One Piece series saw episodes regularly clock in at 60+ minutes across its 8 episodes.
Given that disparity, it's entirely possible that the first season of the live-action Solo Leveling adaptation might dive into story arcs depicting in sesaon 2 of the anime.
Stay tuned for additional updates as filming on the adaptation is reportedly set to kick off in April 2026 and there are still several key castmembers to be announced.
Confirmed cast members include Byeon Woo-seok (Record of Youth, Strong Girl Nam-soon) as Sung Jin-woo and Ahn So-hee (Train to Busan) as Cha Hae-in. Additionally, K-drama star Kang You-seok (Start-Up, When Life Gives You Tangerine, Resident Playbook) will portray Jinho.
Per Netflix's official press release, it sounds as if their adaptation will align pretty closely with the source material.
"Solo Leveling follows Sung Jin-woo, an E-rank Hunter — the lowest tier — who gains extraordinary abilities after a near-death experience. As he levels up, he becomes humanity’s unexpected hope, defending against monstrous threats emerging from beyond the mysterious Gates.
"Since its debut on KakaoPage, Solo Leveling has firmly held its place as its No. 1 web novel and webtoon, garnering a staggering 14.3 billion cumulative views worldwide. Its anime adaptation made history as the first Korean animation to sweep nine major categories at the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards, including Anime of the Year, Best Action and Best Character. "
"The series will be co-directed by Lee Hae-jun and Kim Byung-seo, known for their work in films like Ashfall, Like a Virgin, Castaway on the Moon, My Dictator and Cold Eyes. Kakao Entertainment and SANAI PICTURES are set to produce."
Solo Leveling aka Only I Level Up was created in 2016 by web novel writer Chugong. A webtoon adaptation followed in 2018, with artist Jang Sung-rak (Dubu) serializing Chugong's creation in KakaoPage.
Studio A-1 Pictures provided a 12-episode anime adaptation in 2024, with a 13-episode second season following in 2025. There's currently unconfirmed but heavy speculation that a third season will follow but in the form of a theatrical movie release.
"Known as the Weakest Hunter of All Mankind, E-rank hunter Jinwoo Sung’s contribution to raids amounts to trying not to get killed. Unfortunately, between his mother’s hospital bills, his sister’s tuition, and his own lack of job prospects, he has no choice but to continue to put his life on the line. So when an opportunity arises for a bigger payout, he takes it…only to come face-to-face with a being whose power outranks anything he’s ever seen! With the party leader missing an arm and the only healer a quivering mess, can Jinwoo somehow find them a way out?"