One Piece Director Reveals The Hardest Live-Action Character To Cast
Even though Netflix greenlit the series adaptation of the long-running manga and anime One Piece in 2020, it wasn’t until two years later that the cast was unveiled. In an interview with Screen Rant, director Marc Jobst discussed the importance of finding the right actors to endear the characters to the audience. Moreover, he explained why casting the lead character, Luffy, posed the greatest challenge for the creative team.
“Luffy is the hardest character to cast because he carries the whole show, inspires people to be themselves, to be more of themselves. He wants to help them become more of themselves.”
Marc Jobst, director of One Piece
“Luffy is the hardest character to cast because he carries the whole show,” said Jobst. Describing Luffy as a believer, the director added that the character “inspires people to be themselves, to be more of themselves. He wants to help them become more of themselves.”
Inaki Godoy ultimately secured the role of Monkey D. Luffy in One Piece, with Jobst recalling his outstanding audition that featured deliberate script deviations, humor infusion, and the vital cheekiness and charm required for the character.
Jobst emphasized the casting difficulty presented by Luffy’s unwavering positivity, a trait that had the potential to become overpowering in a series adaptation. Nonetheless, Godoy excelled in exuding warmth and goodwill, establishing him as the ideal embodiment of Luffy.
Despite garnering acclaim, Netflix has yet to announce whether it will renew One Piece for a second season.
Godoy has garnered near-universal acclaim for his performance in One Piece, including praise from the original manga creator, Eiichiro Oda, and the rest of the cast has also received positive feedback.
In addition to Inaki Godoy, the cast of the Netflix series consists of Emily Rudd as Nami, Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro, Jacob Romero as Usopp, Taz Skylar as Sanji, McKinley Belcher III as Arlong, Jandre le Roux as Kuroobi, Milton Schorr as Don Krieg, Stevel Marc as Yassop, and Peter Gadiot as Shanks. The live-action adaptation was created by Steven Maeda and Matt Owens.
In the series, which is set on an alternate Earth, the seas are dominated by ruthless cut-throat pirates, vying for the mythical treasure known as One Piece, left behind by the legendary pirate Gold Roger. Following Gold Roger’s demise, a young boy named Monkey D. Luffy aspires to build his own crew, locate One Piece, and proclaim himself Pirate King.
As he reaches maturity, Luffy embarks from Foosha Village in East Blue on a grand adventure to realize his dream of becoming the next Pirate King.
One Piece premiered on August 31, 2023, and swiftly asserted its dominance on streaming charts. Within a mere four days, the series secured the top position in 84 countries, surpassing the debut viewership of both Stranger Things and Wednesday. Furthermore, the show’s commendable fidelity to the source material has earned it recognition as one of the finest live-action anime adaptations to date.
Inaki Godoy ultimately secured the role of Monkey D. Luffy in One Piece, with Jobst recalling his outstanding audition that featured deliberate script deviations, humor infusion, and the vital cheekiness and charm required for the character.
Despite garnering acclaim, Netflix has yet to announce whether it will renew One Piece for a second season. Eiichiro Oda has mentioned that the entire content of the original One Piece manga couldn’t fit into the series’ eight-episode debut season. He specifically pointed out that not all manga characters would be featured in the first season.
Fortunately, the significant praise that One Piece has received should serve as a strong incentive for Netflix to order additional seasons. This would undoubtedly allow the introduction of characters omitted from the initial season. In the meantime, fans can indulge in the complete first season of the live-action series on Netflix.
