Lee Jong-suk Becomes a Prince With a Secret in ‘The Remarried Empress’

The actor returns to fantasy romance alongside Shin Min-a as the Disney+ series prepares for its four-episode premiere on November 4.

Lee Jong-suk’s next romantic lead arrives with royal status, a reputation that precedes him and a secret he is keeping close. In Disney+’s “The Remarried Empress,” premiering November 4, the actor plays Prince Heinrey, whose interest in an empress facing betrayal places him at the center of a romance with consequences for two kingdoms.

The role brings Lee back to the fantasy storytelling that has shaped several of his best-known performances, although this time the setting replaces contemporary courtrooms and city streets with an elaborate imperial world. Alongside Shin Min-a, Ju Ji-hoon and Lee Se-young, he enters a story in which divorce becomes the beginning of an empress’s most consequential decision.

A prince who offers Navier another future

Adapted from the popular webtoon, “The Remarried Empress” follows Navier, played by Shin Min-a, the accomplished empress of the Eastern Empire. Her marriage unravels when Emperor Sovieshu, played by Ju Ji-hoon, falls for Rashta, a woman who has escaped slavery, portrayed by Lee Se-young.

When Sovieshu demands a divorce, Navier agrees on the condition that she receive permission to remarry Prince Heinrey of the Western Kingdom. That request changes the direction of the story, giving the empress a way to make her own choice after her husband attempts to determine her future.

Heinrey is the Western Kingdom’s first in line to the throne, a highly visible figure surrounded by speculation. His arrival attracts attention, but the public image tells only part of his story: he approaches Navier while concealing a secret, making his intentions and the identity beneath his charming exterior central questions as their relationship develops.

The new stills introduce two sides of Heinrey

Promotional photographs show Lee in richly detailed royal clothing, from an ivory jacket and jeweled neckpiece to a dark embroidered vest worn at a formal gathering. Another image places him on horseback in a pale cape, with uniformed attendants and a carriage behind him, establishing the ceremonial world his character inhabits.

The contrast between those public settings and his softer expressions offers an early glimpse of the balance the role requires. Heinrey must register as a royal figure with his own standing and obligations while also becoming someone Navier might trust at a moment when her closest relationship has collapsed.

Lee addressed the character’s mystery during a stage greeting at the 31st Busan International Film Festival, explaining that Heinrey holds a special secret. He also acknowledged that a Korean live-action romance fantasy of this kind could feel unfamiliar to some viewers, while suggesting that its unfamiliarity could be part of its appeal.

Why the role connects with Lee Jong-suk’s fantasy career

Lee has repeatedly played characters whose extraordinary circumstances shape their relationships. In SBS’s 2013 drama “I Hear Your Voice,” he portrayed Park Soo-ha, a young man able to hear other people’s thoughts, placing an impossible ability within a story driven by trust, danger and emotional connection.

He later played Kang Chul in MBC’s “W,” which moved between a webtoon universe and the real world, earning the Grand Prize at the 2016 MBC Drama Awards. In SBS’s “While You Were Sleeping,” he played prosecutor Jung Jae-chan in a story involving dreams that reveal future events.

“The Remarried Empress” draws on that experience while asking him to inhabit a more overtly fantastical environment. Heinrey belongs to a fictional royal society from the outset, so the challenge lies in making his guarded intentions, affection and responsibilities feel convincing within that world.

When ‘The Remarried Empress’ premieres

Written by Yeo Ji-na and Hyun Choong-yeol and directed by Jo Soo-won, “The Remarried Empress” launches on Disney+ with episodes 1 through 4 on Wednesday, November 4. Two additional episodes will follow each Wednesday.

For viewers meeting Heinrey for the first time, the opening episodes will introduce the prince whose proposal becomes entwined with Navier’s attempt to reclaim control of her future, while leaving the secret Lee has teased for the series itself to reveal.

Editor’s Note: The source material’s English-language publisher, Yen Press, credits Alphatart as the author, SUMPUL as the artist and HereLee for the comic adaptation. Disney+’s official synopsis places Navier’s decision to rewrite her destiny at the center of the television version, giving the royal romance a foundation in her response to betrayal.