Leonard Wu Joins Alita: Battle Angel

October 18, 2016

Leonard Wu has joined Alita: Battle Angel as the manga’s Kinuba

Marco Polo‘s Leonard Wu has joined the cast of Robert Rodriguez’s upcoming manga adaptation, Alita: Battle Angel. He’ll play the part of Kinuba who, in the manga, is a reigning cyborg coliseum champion.

Leonard Wu joins an Alita: Battle Angel cast led by Rosa Salazar in the title role. The ensemble also includes Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz, Jackie Earl Haley, Ed Skrein, Eiza Gonzales, Lana Condor and Mahershala Ali.

Set in the 26th century, Alita: Battle Angel tells the story of Alita, an amnesiac female cyborg who is rescued from a scrapyard by Dyson. The rebuilt Alita, remembering only her training in a deadly martial art, becomes a hunter-warrior, tracking down and eliminating vicious criminals. Within the context of an epic action-adventure, the film aims to explore a young woman’s journey of self-discovery and finding love.

James Cameron had been developing the big screen adaptation for more than a decade, but now that he’s is in pre-production on four Avatar sequels, he has his hands a little full and has turned the Alita reins over to Sin City director Robert Rodriguez.

A Twentieth Century Fox production, Alita: Battle Angel will begin production in Austin this month.

Leonard Wu has appeared on the big screen in films like 17 Again and Revenge of the Green Dragons. On the small screen, the actor has guest starred on television series ranging from Bones to Veronica Mars. He’s best known, however, for playing Orus, the son of Rick Yune’s Kaidu, in the recent second season of Netflix’s Marco Polo.

What do you think of Leonard Wu in the Kinuba role? Share your thoughts in the comments below!