Summary
- Joe Manganiello is excited to play Crocodile in Netflix's One Piece and has put a lot of thought into the character.
- Manganiello has consulted Oda about Crocodile's backstory, scars, and motivation, adding depth to the role.
- The attitude of the cast, including Manganiello, highlights a commitment to delivering quality performances, continuing the success of the first season.
The cast for the live-action One Piece adaptation on Netflix has been growing steadily since its successful first season, and one new addition for the upcoming second season is really passionate about their iconic new role.
One Piece finally found success in live action after more than a decade of dominance in the manga and anime sphere, thanks to the Netflix adaptation. With the series’ unique character designs and a main character with an ability verging on body horror, it was a herculean task adapting the visuals in a manner that would appeal to a general audience. However, the show would manage to do just that and put out a perfect cast for the first season, crossing off the first few arcs of the manga in a compressed eight-episode installment. As a result, renewing the show was a no-brainer, and the second season of Netflix’s One Piece has already finished filming with a third in view.
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The casting has continued to look great going into the new seasons, and one that has fans pretty excited is the eagerly anticipated debut of Joe Manganiello as Crocodile in Netflix's One Piece season two. The star seems just as excited about taking on the role, and in a recent interview with Parade available on YouTube, he opens up about how much thought he’s put into his portrayal of the show’s next major villain. "You know, I am missing an arm…. And so it made me think about, 'H ow did I lose this?'” Magnaniello explained. “Because there are things that have never been explained about the character in either the manga or the anime, and I had the opportunity to talk to Oda about my thoughts on where his scar came from, how the lost limb happened and the hook was replaced, his new choice of profession as casino owner and mob boss rather than pirate, the devil fruit.”
So, while also tipping my hat to the existing fan base and paying respect to the 1300+ episodes of the cartoon that Japanese fans and fans around the world love. So, I am paying my respects to them through my performance also. It has been a blast. It's been a blast.
It’s clear from these comments that Manganiello is acutely aware of the gravity of the role given to him, and that’s a great thing. Crocodile remains one of the series' best antagonists and characters despite his manga debut coming over 25 real-world years ago in a story arc more than a thousand chapters behind the current events. In that time, the character has managed to survive the series’ deadliest confrontations, amass even greater wealth, infamy, and combat prowess, and ally himself with Dracule Mihawk, one of the few characters arguably as cool as he is. Having a star who understands how much fans adore him, even beyond the characterization that he receives in the arc that’s going to play out over the next two seasons, will give the best possible performance.
While both original showrunners have now departed the project for personal reasons, Manganiello’s attitude is just the sort of mindset that allowed One Piece to break the live-action anime adaptation curse in the first place. All the stars on the show seem to really take their roles seriously and have been doubly excited about the upcoming second season, so fans are sure to be in for more of the same great work that made the first installment such a hit with new and veteran viewers alike.
Netflix’s Live-Action One Piece is available to stream on Netflix, with Season 2 set for a late 2025 release.
One Piece
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- August 31, 2023
- Network
- Netflix
- Cast
- Iñaki Godoy, Emily Rudd, Mackenyu, Jacob Gibson, Jeff Ward, Vincent Regan, Royston Stoffels, David Muller, Nicole Fortuin, Lindsay Reardon, Milton Schorr, Aidan Scott, Danielle Bitton, Lily Fisher, Ilia Isorelýs Paulino, Maximilian Lee Piazza, Rendani Mufamadi, Kamdynn Gary, Morgan Davies, Taz Skylar, Ian McShane, Rory Acton Burnell, Stevel Marc, Ntlanhla Morgan Kutu, Michael Dorman
- Showrunner
- Matt Owens
- Directors
- Tim Southam, Marc Jobst, Josef Kubota Wladyka
- Writers
- Tiffany Greshler, Diego Gutierrez, Allison Weintraub, Lindsay Gelfand
- Franchise(s)
- One Piece
- Main Genre
- Adventure
- Seasons
- 2
- Producers
- Chris Symes, Matt Owens, Stephen Welke, Steven Maeda, Eiichiro Oda, Marty Adelstein, Marisa Sonemann-Turner, Becky Clements, Rudi Van As
- Story By
- Eiichiro Oda
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix
- Creator(s)
- Matt Owens, Steven Maeda, Eiichiro Oda
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Source: Parade/YouTube