Attention all One Piece fans! The first five Strawhats’ wanted posters have been released. That’s right, it’s finally time to meet the actors who will be taking on the roles of our favourite pirates in the “One Piece” live action series.
Honestly, we were worried when we first heard about the live action series. After all, it’s no easy feat to transform a quirky anime into live action. More importantly, finding the right cast to fill in our beloved characters’ shoes is akin to finding One Piece itself! But, Netflix and Eiichiro Oda have done the impossible.
The live actions series adaptation of “One Piece” has long since been announced but aside from that, we haven’t had much news. However, manga author and Executive Producer Eiichiro Oda has reassured us that they’ve been making steady progress. “It’s not easy when you’re working with people from different cultures,” he admitted. “But it’s precisely that process that can yield something special!”
Without further ado, let’s meet these lucky five who will be embodying Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp and Sanji!
1. Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy
Our much beloved Strawhat captain will be portrayed by Mexican actor Iñaki Godoy. He previously appeared in “Go, Youth!” and “Who Killed Sara?” The 18-year-old is just as excited as we are that he’ll be taking on the role of the future Pirate King, as evidence by his bold declaration on his Instagram: “I WILL BE THE PIRATE KING !!!!” He also took the opportunity to express his gratitude to Eiichiro Oda, saying, “Thank you Mr Oda for the trust, I won’t let you down.” He has very big shoes to fill, but he definitely has the energy for it!
2. Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro
Japanese actor Mackenyu (Mackenyu Maeda, 前田真剣佑) will be taking on the role of infamous Pirate Hunter and unofficial first mate of the Strawhats. We are definitely looking forward to seeing him as the Strawhats’ swordsman! You may be more familiar with him from his appearances in “Rurouni Kenshin: Final Chapter” and “Pacific Rim: Uprising”. The 25-year-old was thrilled to announce the good news on his socials. Not only that, he kindly gave us a sneak peek of the script and a few familiar looking ships on his Instagram.
3. Emily Rudd as Nami
Our fierce, money-loving navigator will be played by lovely American actress Emily Rudd. It’s a dream come true for the 28-year-old actress from “Fear Street” and “Hunters”. In fact, it left her speechless. “Words won’t be able to cover it so I won’t say a whole lot,” she said on her Instagram. But she did congratulate her fellow crewmembers and thank those involved in the production for her role as Nami.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CWEi3tss0eI/
4. Jacob Romero Gibson as Usopp
Actor Jacob Romero Gibson will be challenging the role of the cowardly sniper. He’s certainly ready for it. The “Greenleaf” and “All Rise” actor said, “It is one of the greatest honors in my life to bring breath to Usopp.” We’ll be ready to watch him become a brave warrior of the sea!
5. Taz Skylar as Sanji
The Strawhats’ cook will be played by actor and producer Taz Skylar. The 26-year-old British actor from “Boiling Point” and “Villain” promises a wild ride with the Strawhat crew. As he joked in a Instagram post to his fellow crewmates: “Imma feed you till you explode when I get there.” No clue on his actual cooking skills, but we’re delighted to see him portray Sanji on screen.
So far, only the main cast of the show has been released. But, we are already excited with just the five and will eagerly wait to discover the other actors who will be taking on iconic roles such as Buggy the Clown, Marine Captain Smoker and even the elusive Dragon.
We look forward to seeing these five bring our favourite One Piece characters to life! Here’s a greeting from the cast:
