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| Cheng Lei’s 2026 Drama Line-Up Looks Seriously Stacked (Photo: Sina/Weibo) |
As 2025 wraps up on a high note, Cheng Lei is clearly not slowing down. The actor, also known as Ryan Cheng, is heading into 2026 with one of his strongest drama slates yet. After a year packed with solid ratings and steady buzz, his upcoming projects show a more mature, layered side of his acting — moving confidently between historical fantasy, Republican-era romance, mystery, and even a long-awaited modern title. For fans who’ve followed his journey since A Familiar Stranger and My Journey to You, this next chapter feels like a proper upgrade rather than just more of the same.
Born on 18 December 1993 in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, Cheng Lei is a trained architectural design graduate from Hebei Academy of Fine Arts — a background fans often joke explains his composed presence and clean visual style on screen.
During 2025, he stayed highly visible with Legend of the Female General, Shadow Love, and Footprints of Change, all of which landed decent feedback and strengthened his reputation as a reliable leading man.
All Cheng Lei New Dramas Premiering in 2026
That momentum now rolls straight into 2026, where four very different dramas are lined up.
Mo Li (莫离)
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Mo Li is easily one of the most talked-about historical fantasy romances heading into 2026. The 40-episode Tencent Video original pairs Cheng Lei with Bai Lu in a story built on political intrigue, hidden identities, and slow-burn trust.
He plays Prince Mo Xiu Yao, a man outwardly dismissed as weak but quietly operating several layers ahead of everyone else.
His marriage to Ye Li, the eldest daughter of the Ye family, begins as a calculated move rather than romance, with both sides harbouring their own revenge plans.
What viewers can expect here is a strategic partnership that evolves into genuine alliance and affection, set against royal power struggles and shifting loyalties.
Fans are especially curious to see Cheng Lei lean into a colder, more restrained character type, contrasting with Bai Lu’s sharp and intelligent heroine. Netizens have already labelled this drama “high-risk, high-reward”, with many praising the casting choice and calling it one of the most anticipated historical dramas of the year.
Filming is complete, and the planned Q2–Q3 2026 release window keeps expectations firmly in the spotlight.
The Lament of Autumn (玉簟秋)
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Switching eras completely, The Lament of Autumn brings Cheng Lei into a Republican-era setting filled with tension, secrets, and emotional push-and-pull.
This Mango TV original stars him alongside Xu Ruohan, Guo Yuxin, Liu Dongqin, and Chang Long, and leans more heavily into character-driven storytelling than spectacle.
Cheng Lei’s Yu Chang Xuan is charming on the surface but far from simple underneath. His interactions with Ye Ping Jun, a student forced into difficult choices by family circumstances, form the heart of the story.
Their relationship begins with suspicion and a dangerous wager tied to an attempted assassination, then slowly transforms as hidden motives come to light. Viewers are expecting a more subtle performance here, focusing on restrained emotions and moral ambiguity rather than grand heroics.
Among drama fans, reactions have been quietly enthusiastic rather than explosive. Many appreciate the return of Republican-era romance after a flood of costume dramas, while others are curious to see Cheng Lei handle a role that balances tenderness and calculation at the same time.
How Dare You!? (成何体统)
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Confirmed for an early February 2026 premiere on iQIYI, How Dare You!? is shaping up to be the most playful and unpredictable project on Cheng Lei’s upcoming list.
With a star-studded cast including Wang Churan, Hu Yixuan, Tang Xiaotian, Xie Zecheng, and Ji Xiaofei, this historical fantasy mystery dives headfirst into transmigration chaos.
Cheng Lei’s role as Zhang San — a hidden king who has spent years pretending to be harmless — gives him plenty of room to mix humour, danger, and quiet authority.
The story revolves around two modern minds trapped inside a novel’s world, each fighting fate in different ways. One wants survival, the other wants control, and both are fully aware that the rules of the story are stacked against them.
Online chatter has been particularly loud for this one.
Fans love the high-concept premise and are excited to see Cheng Lei play someone who constantly switches between harmless façade and calculating strategist. Many viewers have already marked this as their “first must-watch of 2026”.
Reading Class (阅读课)
Unlike the other three titles, Reading Class comes with far lower expectations — and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Filmed more than three years ago, this modern romance stars Hou Minghao and Song Zuer, with Cheng Lei appearing in a supporting role.
Directed by Shen Xiao Hai, the drama has long been sitting quietly on the shelf, but recent signals suggest it may finally see daylight in 2026.
While fans are realistic about Cheng Lei’s limited screen time here, some are still curious to see an earlier phase of his acting career finally reach audiences. Netizens mostly view this as a bonus rather than a main event, something to watch for completion’s sake rather than hype.
Looking at the full picture, Cheng Lei’s 2026 drama line-up feels deliberately balanced: one high-profile historical epic, one emotionally grounded period romance, one genre-blending fantasy mystery, and one long-delayed modern series. It shows a clear effort to avoid being boxed into a single image, while still playing to his strengths.
Now it’s over to you. Which of these dramas is already on your watchlist? Are you here for the epic schemes of Mo Li, the quiet tension of The Lament of Autumn, or the wild ride promised by How Dare You!?