Finn Jones Studying Martial Arts and Buddhism for Iron Fist Training

On Game of Thrones, Finn Jones had some fighting skills, but nothing quite like what he’ll need to play mystical martial arts master Danny Rand in Marvel and Netflix’s Iron Fist. The actor is naturally training for hours each day, then, in “kung fu and wushu mixed with a bit of tai chi,” he told EW in this week’s print issue. He’s also doing extensive weight training “to bulk [him] up.”

But there’s another side to Iron Fist, as he channels his Chi for the source of his power. That means that alongside the physical training, he’s undergoing mental, as well, studying Buddhist philosophy and meditation.

“I’ve always dreamed of a role that bridged spiritual discipline and badass superhero,” he told the magazine. “There’s a contradiction in those elements that’s going to be very fun to play.”

Iron Fist is in pre-production now for an expected (though not yet scheduled) 2017 release. It follows Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage as the fourth out of four planned series collaborations between Marvel TV and Netflix, leading to a mini-series bringing the heroes together as The Defenders.