Let’s be honest for a second. The Walking Dead changed a lot of things, but one of the biggest emotional crimes it ever committed was taking Glenn Rhee away from us. Glenn wasn’t just a character.
He was our emotional support survivor. He was the sweet one, the brave one, the funny one, the guy who somehow stayed kind in a world that had absolutely no reason to be kind anymore. And Steven Yeun? He made Glenn feel so real that a whole generation of TV fans basically adopted him as their favorite human. So when Glenn was brutally killed off the show in its seventh season, it wasn’t just sad.
It felt like someone stole our favorite character and then expected us to just move on with our lives. Rude. But thankfully, Yeun didn't disappear from our screens. Instead, he went on to star in a bunch of other incredible shows and movies that prove Glenn was just the beginning of his main-character era. In this article, we’ve highlighted the five best Steven Yeun shows and movies that every Walking Dead fan should have on their watchlist right now.
Beef (2023-)
- Where to watch: Netflix
- Created by: Lee Sung Jin
- Seasons: 1 and a second season on the way
Some shows make you laugh, some make you cry, and then there’s Beef. This Netflix series somehow does both while making you question your own anger management. What starts as a seemingly minor parking lot road rage incident between Danny Cho (Steven Yeun) and Amy Lau (Ali Wong) quickly explodes into a full-blown, absurdly dramatic feud that’s equal parts hilarious and painfully relatable.
It all begins at a home improvement store, where Danny and Amy clash after Danny almost backs his truck into Amy's SUV while trying to leave a parking spot. This then leads to a brief chase across the city, with honking, insults, and a growing tension that quickly turns their minor dispute into an all-out feud. It becomes a thing where both of them try to one-up each other in increasingly ridiculous ways.
Danny, a struggling contractor already dealing with personal stress, starts sabotaging Amy’s life in small but pointed ways, while Amy, a successful entrepreneur with her own frustrations, fires back with equally elaborate retaliations. As the rivalry grows, it starts to consume their daily lives.
Also joining Yeun and Wong in the season 1 cast are Joseph Lee, Young Mazino, David Choe, Patti Yasutake, and others.
Invincible (2021-)
- Where to watch: Prime Video
- Created by: Robert Kirkman
- Seasons: 3 with a fourth season coming out soon
For Invincible, Yeun lends his voice since it's an adult animated series. Some Walking Dead fans might already be familiar with this show since it's created by the mastermind behind the original Walking Dead comics. It's a superhero show that's based on the comic book series of the same name by Robert Kirkman. Yeun stars in the leading role as Mark Grayson, a seemingly normal teenager who suddenly discovers that he’s inherited incredible superpowers from his father, Omni-Man, aka the most powerful superhero on the planet.
At first, Mark is excited to embrace his new abilities, but he quickly learns that being a superhero is far more complicated and dangerous than he imagined. The show follows him as he navigates high school, relationships, and friendships while facing increasingly intense villains, epic battles, and shocking family secrets that challenge everything he thought he knew about heroism and about his own family.
Besides Yeun, the voice cast is made up of Sandra Oh, J. K. Simmons, Gillian Jacobs, Zazie Beetz, Andrew Rannells, Walton Goggins, Ross Marquand, and many others.
Nope (2022)
- Where to watch: Peacock
- Directed and written by: Jordan Peele
After two massive hits with Get Out and Us, Peele made an epic return to the horror genre with Nope, and honestly, it’s exactly the kind of wild, thrilling ride you’d expect from him. It's only bigger, stranger, and way more chaotic.
In this sci-fi horror, he takes us out of the suburban and familiar horror territory and plops us right into sunny California, where siblings OJ and Em Haywood are trying to keep their horse ranch running without losing their minds. But of course, things go off the rails fast because a mysterious, terrifying, and absolutely mesmerizing presence starts appearing in the skies above, and nothing is ever the same again.
Yeun takes on the role of Ricky “Jupe” Park, a standout supporting character with more layers than you might expect. Jupe is a former child star who now runs Jupiter’s Claim, a quirky, themed tourist attraction that he uses to capitalize on the strange events in the sky. Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer star in the main roles as OJ and Em Haywood.
Burning (2018)
- Where to watch: Tubi for free
- Directed by: Lee Chang-dong
- Written by: Lee and Oh Jung-mi
Burning is not your typical thriller, and that’s exactly why it’s so addicting. It's based on the short story, Barn Burning, by Haruki Murakami. The story is deceptively simple at first. Jong-su, a slightly lost, thoughtful guy, reconnects with Hae-mi, a charming and quirky girl from his past. Life seems normal until she introduces him to Ben, a rich, mysterious stranger with an unsettling hobby. Every now and then, he likes to burn greenhouses.
Yeah, you read that right. From there, the tension ramps up, and suddenly every interaction is a mind game. You’ll find yourself obsessing over tiny details, second-guessing motives, and wondering if anyone is telling the truth. Yeun plays a much darker role than his character in The Walking Dead. He portrays Ben, the wealthy, enigmatic man whose charm hides something far more sinister beneath the surface. Yoo Ah-in and Jeon Jong-seo play the roles of Jong-su and Hae-mi.
The Rip (2026)
- Where to watch: Netflix
- Directed and written by: Joe Carnahan
Last but certainly not least is The Rip. It's an action thriller flick, and Yeun's latest project. It was just released on Netflix on Jan. 16. The plot kicks off when a routine Miami police operation goes sideways, and the team stumbles upon millions of dollars in cash hidden in a dilapidated stash house. Suddenly, loyalty, trust, and morals go flying out the window, and everyone has to figure out who they can really trust when greed, danger, and temptation are all crashing in at once.
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck star in the leading roles as Lieutenant Dane Dumars and Detective Sergeant JD Byrne. They're the ones who find the cash along with several other cops. One of those cops is Detective Mike Ro, played by Yeun. Teyana Taylor, Sasha Calle, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Scott Adkins, Kyle Chandler, Néstor Carbonell, and Lina Esco make up the rest of the cast.