FILIPINO FANS of the hit 2013 Koreanovela ‘My Love from the Star’ can hardly wait to find out who’ll play Matteo Do, the beloved lead male character opposite Jennylyn Mercado‘s Steffi Cheon, originally played by Korean star Jun Ji-hyun‘s co-lead.

Alden Richards was originally cast as Matteo, but negative reactions from fans of Alden and his onscreen partner Maine Mendoza‘s tandem, #AlDub, seem to have derailed that plan, pushing the network to look elsewhere for the role.

The stars of the Korean series, ‘My Love from the Star,’ Jun Ji-hyun and Kim Soo Hyun.

While the Kapuso network has plenty of good-looking talent waiting for a break, no one quite fits the shoes once filled by Korean superstar Kim Soo Hyun. There’s handsome hunk Ivan Dorschner, now a Kapuso himself, but he’s tied up with another project, ‘Meant To Be,’ set to premiere in January 2017.

With no obvious pick, the network went searching for the right Matteo Do to star opposite the fast-rising, multi-awarded Kapuso actress. As of this writing, a few names have come up, including Gil Cuerva and Vince Vandorpe.

Gil Cuerva (featured photo) is a Hong Kong-based Filipino-Spanish ramp and print model managed by Cornerstone in the Philippines. His resemblance to the original Matteo, Kim Soo Hyun, works in his favor. According to sources, Cuerva was the top pick among those who auditioned in front of GMA executives, Director Joyce Bernal, and Jennylyn Mercado herself earlier this year. There have reportedly been early talks with Cuerva about the role, though nothing’s official until announced, and the source also mentioned some lingering “issues” with his casting, so it’s not a done deal yet.

Is Gil Cuerva handsome enough to play the role of Pinoy Matteo Do?

That leaves room for other fan favorites too. Some suggest Eat Bulaga’s My Foreignoy finalist and PBB 737 housemate Richard Juan, though we’re not sure he’s quite right for the role. If the Filipino version decides not to model its Matteo after Kim Soo Hyun’s looks, though, a few other handsome candidates come to mind, including Mark Mcmahon and Vince Vandorpe — and between the two, we’d lean toward Vandorpe, since he’s a fresher face on TV.

Friends with Cuerva, Vandorpe is a Filipino-Belgian commercial and print model gaining traction through his YouTube channel and commercial work. With his good looks, he could easily land the role. His main challenge would be speaking Filipino, though proper coaching should take care of that. Vandorpe photographs and films beautifully — photogenic and telegenic in equal measure — and could easily become one of the country’s top faces with the right packaging. His recent TV commercials include McDonald’s, Smart’s #SugodManny campaign, and PHCare, among others.

How about a more Pinoy-looking Filipino-Belgian model Vince Vandorpe?

You want a sexy bod? Vince got it too.

Acting-wise, both Vandorpe and Cuerva are newcomers, which is exactly what workshops are for. Right now, Cuerva is the obvious pick, but going with him risks making this Filipino version feel like a copy of the Korean original. Casting someone like Vandorpe instead could help it stand apart as something more distinctly Pinoy-made, even if it can’t be entirely its own thing.

How about you guys? Who should play Matteo Do — Gil Cuerva or Vince Vandorpe? Let us know in the comments.

With Jennylyn Mercado leading the cast, though, it’s hard to see this going wrong. With her ever-blooming beauty and acting chops, all Jennylyn really needs is a handsome hunk who falls for her while making her fall for him too — whether he’s from another star or another galaxy.

Jennylyn Mercado plays the role of Steffi Cheon