The Running Man cast had plenty of experience hosting both local and international celebrities, but there was something different about having Lucas and Jennifer on set.
Maybe it was the sheer star power they exuded, or maybe it was how effortlessly they blended into the humor and chaos of the show.
Lucas, in particular, immediately adapted to their dynamic, cracking jokes that had everyone laughing. Jennifer, while still adjusting, was doing her best to keep up, and even when her humor wasn't perfect, the cast found her efforts endearing.
Yoo Jae-suk, always the charismatic host, beamed as he welcomed the guests once more.
"Lucas Knight... Jennifer Lawrence..." he said, exaggerating their names in an overly fancy accent, as if announcing royalty.
The cast burst into laughter at his delivery.
Lucas grinned. "Yeah, we're glad to be here." Then, without missing a beat, he added with a straight face, "I'm especially excited to promote our movie today."
The Running Man members froze, caught off guard by the unexpected announcement.
Lee Kwang-soo, the most reactive of them all, looked genuinely shocked. "Wait—seriously? You guys have a movie coming out? I didn't hear about this!"
Jennifer covered her mouth, trying to suppress her laughter as she watched Kwang-soo's panicked expression.
Lucas kept his serious tone. "Yeah, it's an action film. Very intense. Big budget."
Kwang-soo's eyes widened, and he immediately turned to the producers and staff. "Wait, nobody told us they were promoting a movie! Why didn't anyone say anything?!"
The cast, seeing his genuine confusion, played along, nodding as if they were also caught off guard.
Kwang-soo, ever the curious fan, leaned forward. "What's it about? When's the release date? Can we get a sneak peek?"
Lucas held his serious expression for a few more seconds, letting the suspense build. Then, finally, he casually shrugged and said, "I'm just messing with you guys. There's no movie."
For a moment, there was dead silence.
Then, chaos erupted.
Yoo Jae-suk dramatically clutched his chest. "Ahhh, I knew it! Hollywood actors are just built different—they even prank on another level!"
Haha pointed at Lucas, laughing. "You played Kwang-soo so well! Look at his face—he really believed it!"
Kwang-soo, still in shock, placed a hand over his heart. "Wait, so there's no movie?! I was ready to support you!"
Jennifer, still giggling, couldn't help but tease, "You're a real fan, huh?"
Kwang-soo nodded enthusiastically, practically beaming with excitement. "Of course! I've seen almost all of Lucas's movies!" Then, in typical dramatic fashion, he turned to Lucas, shaking his head in mock betrayal. "And this is how you treat a fan? You're so harsh!"
Lucas laughed, patting Kwang-soo's shoulder. "I had to. Your reaction was priceless."
The cast burst into laughter, fully embracing the energy and chaos of the episode.
From behind the cameras, Bo-pil watched with a satisfied smile. Everything was going better than expected. The Hollywood stars weren't just here for a simple guest appearance—they were fully engaging with the cast.
As the banter continued, Yoo Jae-suk did what he did best—teasing the guests, even though they were global superstars.
But what surprised everyone was how easily Lucas shot back at him, matching his wit and even turning the jokes back on Jae-suk.
After some playful back-and-forth, it was time for the formal guest introduction—a signature part of Running Man.
Even though Lucas and Jennifer were well-known worldwide, the show always made it a point to properly introduce their guests.
First, Jennifer's iconic movie scenes were played on the screen. The cast watched in admiration, clapping as they saw clips from Blue Jasmine, American Hustle, and The Hunger Games.
As the scene of Katniss Everdeen drawing her bow appeared, the cast clapped enthusiastically, impressed by her acting range.
"Wow, she's really amazing," Ji-hyo said, nodding in admiration.
"Her expressions are so powerful," Se-chan added.
Jennifer, feeling slightly flustered, nodded politely, grateful for the praise. "Thank you. That means a lot."
Then, a scene from The Hunger Games featuring both Jennifer and Lucas played.
Kim Jong-kook, curious, turned to the two. "Speaking of Hunger Games, is there any news about Mockingjay Part 2?"
Song Ji-hyo, who had been a fan of the series, also perked up. "I've heard rumors that filming is already finished. Is that true?"
Jennifer instinctively looked at Lucas.
Lucas, smiling, leaned forward. "It is finished, actually."
The cast gasped, some looking at each other in excitement. Even the crew members and Bo-pil seemed surprised—they weren't expecting such a casual confirmation of such big news.
Yoo Jae-suk, narrowing his eyes playfully, leaned toward Lucas. "Wait, wait. You're not messing with us, are you? Mockingjay Part 2 is actually done filming?"
Lucas chuckled. "No, I wouldn't joke about that."
Se-chan, looking like a true fan, fist-pumped in excitement. "Ohhh! I can't wait to watch it!"
After Jennifer's segment, it was time to showcase Lucas's most iconic scenes.
On the large screen next to the cameras, clips from his most acclaimed movies appeared—127 Hours, Like Crazy, Inception, Gravity...
The cast watched in awe, but the moment that really caught their attention was when a scene from Joker played.
It was the intense moment where Lucas's Joker shot Murray on live TV.
The studio fell into silence for a brief moment as they absorbed the chilling performance.
Ji Suk-jin rubbed his arms, exaggerating a shiver. "That scene was terrifying… I can't believe they just played it here like it's nothing."
The others chuckled, but Jae-suk turned to Lucas and jokingly gave him a wary look.
"I don't think I ever want to offend Lucas after seeing that."
Haha nodded in agreement, pretending to be serious. "Yeah… I think we should all just admit defeat in today's challenges."
So-min, playing along, sighed dramatically. "Maybe we should go easy on them and let them win."
The room erupted with laughter as the cast playfully shrank away from Lucas, pretending to be terrified.
Lucas, shaking his head in amusement, looked at them and said, "Come on, you guys don't need to be afraid." He paused, then tilted his head slightly, adding in a thoughtful tone, "After all, this isn't a live broadcast."
His delivery was so casual yet perfectly timed that even before the translation, the cast could already sense the joke coming.
After the translation came through, Suk-jin immediately jumped in. "Wait, wait, wait—does that mean you would do it if this was a live broadcast?"
The cast burst into laughter again, some clutching their chests dramatically.
Lucas, keeping the joke alive, casually slipped his hand into his jacket pocket as if reaching for something. His expression remained unreadable. "Who knows?"
Jae-suk's eyes widened, and he jumped back exaggeratedly, waving his hands. "Wait, wait, wait! You're scaring us even more! What are you holding? How did SBS security even let you in with a weapon?!"
Even the staff members and producers behind the cameras laughed, with Bo-pil shaking his head at how ridiculous yet perfectly timed the banter was.
Lucas smirked. "Security? Oh, they didn't check me. They just smiled, asked for pictures and autographs, and let me right in."
The room exploded with laughter once again, the cast doubling over at Lucas's perfectly delivered humor.
Jennifer, who had been laughing quietly, finally lost it, her giggles turning into full-blown laughter.
Meanwhile, Jae-suk, Suk-jin, and a few others were still acting scared, slowly backing away from Lucas.
Lucas, keeping up the act, finally pulled something out of his pocket.
A small water bottle.
He uncapped it calmly, took a sip, then looked around at everyone's frozen expressions. "What? Why are you guys backing away?"
The staff and cast roared with laughter, some clapping their hands while others fell onto their seats in relief.
Jae-suk, waving his hands dramatically, tried to explain. "Ahh, no, no, no, it's just that—you had your hand in your pocket for too long! The way you did it was too realistic! You gave us all a heart attack!"
Suk-jin nodded aggressively, wiping imaginary sweat from his forehead. "Right, right! I was already thinking about my will!"
Haha, still recovering from his laughter, pointed at Lucas. "You're too good at this. Hollywood really trained you well!"
Jennifer, still laughing, patted Lucas on the arm. "You almost gave them a collective meltdown!"
Lucas chuckled, shrugging. "I was just thirsty." He held up the bottle as proof, taking another casual sip.
The fun banter continued for a few more moments, with the cast playfully overreacting and Lucas enjoying every bit of it.
Finally, Jae-suk took a deep breath, still recovering from laughter, and waved his hands. "Alright, alright! Before Lucas sends us all into cardiac arrest, let's get to our first challenge!"
The cast straightened up, and Bo-pil gave the cue to transition.
Jae-suk turned to Lucas and Jennifer, smiling. "Now, you two won't be playing alone. We're going to pick teams. Some of us will be lucky enough to fight alongside you, and some of us..." He trailed off, grinning mischievously. "Well, some of us will be your enemies."
The teams were chosen, and as fate would have it, Kwang-soo was not on Lucas and Jennifer's team.
Kwang-soo threw his hands up in frustration, his long limbs flailing dramatically. "Seriously?! I've been waiting my whole life for this moment, and I end up on the other team?!"
His exaggerated disappointment only made the situation funnier, as the rest of the cast cheered over their placements.
"YES! I'm on Lucas's team!" Se-chan fist-pumped.
"Ahh, this is going to be legendary!" Ji-hyo added excitedly.
Meanwhile, Jae-suk and his team—who were set to be Lucas and Jennifer's opponents—looked at each other nervously.
Jae-suk sighed dramatically. "Alright, everyone, listen up. I don't think we can win, but we have to at least try to survive!"
Haha nodded. "If we can't beat them, let's just annoy them as much as possible."
So-min, grinning, chimed in. "Or maybe we can act weak and convince them to go easy on us."
Jae-suk, shaking his head, announced the first game. "Our opening challenge… is none other than Tug of War!"
The cast cheered, the energy in the room skyrocketing as everyone prepared for battle.
As they entered the game area, the massive setup for the challenge stood before them—a raised platform with a rope stretched across, leading to a drop where the losing team would be plunged into a pool of freezing water.
Jae-suk clapped his hands together, grinning. "Now, let me explain. This entire concept was actually suggested by our guest, Lucas Knight!" He pointed at Lucas with an amused expression. "Whoever loses… will get soaked!"
The cast immediately reacted in genuine shock, their eyes widening.
"Wait, Lucas came up with this?!" Suk-jin exclaimed.
"Why?! Do you enjoy watching people suffer?!" Haha added, pretending to look betrayed.
Lucas, grinning, shrugged innocently. "I just made a suggestion… I didn't think Bo-pil would actually go through with it."
Bo-pil, standing off to the side, tried to hold in his laugh. "I liked the idea."
The cast groaned, knowing they had no way out now.
Lucas cracked his knuckles and looked at Jennifer. "This should be fun."
Jennifer, stretching her arms, gave him a knowing smile. "Oh, definitely."
With that, the teams were divided, and each side took their positions, gripping the thick rope in their hands.
As soon as the whistle blew, both teams yanked hard, the tension immediate.
Lucas's team had the advantage, but on the opposing side, Kwang-soo—being the tallest and one of the strongest—gritted his teeth and pulled with everything he had. His teammates screamed encouragement, their voices echoing in the studio.
"Kwang-soo! Use your height!" Jae-suk shouted.
"HYUNG, DON'T LOSE!" Jeon So-min yelled as she nearly lost her footing.
Despite the fierce struggle, the cast couldn't stop laughing, their excitement distracting them from actually focusing on the game.
Lucas kept his grip firm but didn't exert too much force, letting the opposing team feel like they had the upper hand.
Slowly, Jennifer and the others on his team were being pulled forward, inch by inch.
Despite the chaos, Jennifer couldn't help but laugh softly, thoroughly entertained by the absurdity of it all. The game was intense, yet undeniably hilarious. She could feel Se-chan struggling behind her, his feet slipping wildly on the platform.
Behind him, Ji-hyo and Haha shouted sharply, their voices filled with urgency. Se-chan yelped in panic, scrambling to regain his footing.
Jennifer, though unable to understand Korean, could clearly tell that Ji-hyo and Haha were scolding him for messing up. The way Se-chan frantically tried to correct himself, arms flailing, only made the scene funnier.
She bit her lip to keep from laughing too much, but she couldn't hide her amusement. This was complete madness—but in the best way possible.
Lucas, amused but strategic, suddenly tightened his grip. "I played this game before. Just follow my lead!"
The cast perked up, eyes narrowing in curiosity.
"Wait, what?" Ji-hyo said, eyeing him suspiciously.
Lucas smirked. "Trust me. On my count, we're going to change our strategy."
Then, he taught his team the technique—lean back with full weight, hold for a moment, then pull in synchronized bursts.
The other team, watching in confusion, hesitated.
"What are they trying to do?" Suk-jin murmured, growing suspicious.
Then, Lucas and his team executed the plan.
"ONE… TWO… THREE—PULL!"
Their synchronized movement suddenly sent a powerful force through the rope, jerking the other team forward.
Kwang-soo's eyes bulged in panic. "OH NO!"
"USE YOUR STRENGTH, EVERYONE!" he screamed.
But the opposing team wasn't in sync, failing to use their weight effectively.
Before they could recover, Lucas's team pulled again—harder this time.
The screams filled the air as Kwang-soo and his teammates were yanked forward—their feet losing grip.
"AAAAHHH!"
One by one, they tumbled off the platform, splashing into the freezing water below.
The room erupted into chaos, with laughter echoing from all directions.
Lucas and Jennifer, still holding onto the rope, looked over the edge grinning as they watched the defeated team thrash in the cold water.