Based on Eiichiro Oda’s namesake manga series, One Piece quickly became a favorite for anime fans. The series first aired in 1999 and is now, finally, making its way into the live-action world. The Netflix series is developed by Matt Owens and Steven Maeda and will release in August this year.
New updates regarding the live-action One Piece are coming up as we get closer and closer to the release date. One such update involves the casting of an important character – Monkey D. Dragon, the main character Monkey D. Luffy’s father. According to reports, actor Dean Damonse will be taking over the role.
Dean Damonse to Play Monkey D. Dragon in One Piece?
According to Twitter user @OP_Netflix_Fan, Dean Damonse will be playing the role of Monkey D. Dragon aka the Rebellious Dragon who is one of the founding members of the Revolutionary Army. Dragon is also known as the World’s Worst Criminal as he poses a huge threat to the World Government.
Given the weight of the role, fans are a bit confused with this alleged casting as they question Damonse’s young age. However, according to @OP_Netflix_Fan, the young age might be simply because Netflix might have wanted an actor who could give a long-term commitment to the role. The user writes,
“Note: They might’ve casted someone younger considering long term in minds. With makeup and costume, the age will look more convincing.”
The user also wrote that it is possible Damonse will play both younger and older versions of the character, or just either one of the two. While Damonse might not be a popular name, he is part of a South African soap opera, Arendsvlei.
Everything We Know About Netflix’s One Piece
The first season of Netflix’s One Piece will follow the East Blue arc from the story. This is the plotline where Monkey D. Luffy begins his adventure as a pirate. Mexican actor, Iñaki Godoy, will bring Luffy to life in the Netflix series.
Luffy will be joined by a few other fan-favorite characters including, Roronoa Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji. These characters will be played by Mackenyu Arata, Emily Rudd, Jacob Romero Gibson, and Taz Skylar, respectively. The series will have a total of ten episodes in the first season.
One Piece was filmed in Cape Town, South Africa with the filming being completed all the way back in August 2022. Creator Matt Owens shared a heartfelt note stating,
“I can’t begin to express the love and gratitude I feel for this city and these people. This talented cast, this hardworking crew, have put something truly incredible together…And a special shoutout to the people I came to love not even connected to the production. I love you, Mother City. And I cannot wait to show the world everything that you have to offer. The One Piece is real! And we are bringing it to one and all!”
Netflix released the trailer for the series a few days back and it has received pretty positive feedback from the fans. We’ll just have to wait and see if the show manages to impress the anime-loving audience or not.
One Piece will release on August 31, 2023, on Netflix.
Source: Twitter
