For a long time, Hollywood struggled to nail live-action adaptations of beloved animes, with some infamous examples being Dragonball Evolution and The Last Airbender. Fortunately, Netflix finally broke the cycle by pumping out One Piece, which, unlike the majority of its kind, was faithful to the source material and became one of the platform’s most-watched originals.
With season 2 of the Iñaki Godoy-led series expected to hit sometime in 2025, some major names have now been added to the cast, including David Dastmalchian as Mr. 3.
David Dastmalchian as Mr. 3 Has Fans Elated
During Monkey D. Luffy’s birthday last month, Iñaki Godoy teased the arrival of the former agent of Baroque Works while wishing Luffy— the most inspiring pirate to ever sail the Grand Line— a happy birthday. Fast forward to today, Netflix has officially welcomed Mr. 3, a loan shark, who is also the main antagonist of the Little Garden Arc in the manga and anime series for Season 2 of One Piece.
David Dastmalchian, who is coming straight off the success of Late Night with the Devil and is notable for his stints in films such as The Dark Knight and The Suicide Squad, has been hired for the role. Reflecting on this update, fans can’t stress their excitement enough, as Dastmalchian looks the perfect fit for Mr. 3.
In addition to him, the cast for other Baroque Works Agents includes Daniel Lasker as Mr. 9, Camrus Johnson as Mr. 5, and Jazzara Jaslyn as Miss Valentine.
Luffy’s Spirit Helped Iñaki Godoy Tackle the Pressure
Arguably the biggest positive for the series, other than staying true to the source material, was its casting, especially Iñaki Godoy, who captured the spirit of Luffy from the anime.
Speaking of the pressure that comes with such a major gig, the actor shared that playing Luffy for a prolonged period helped him cope with it. Godoy shared (via Comicbook.com) that sometimes he forgot he was working on a massive production after he embodied the character’s spirit.
There were times when it was very hard, and the pressure of it all got to me. But you know, if you continue playing Luffy for a long time, his spirit takes over you and somehow you sometimes forget that you’re working on this massive production because you start to have fun like him.
Following the success of the first season, which was overseen by the manga creator Eiichiro Oda himself, fans have high expectations for what the show has in store next. And the inclusion of a promising cast for the Baroque Works agents only adds to the excitement.
One Piece is available to stream on Netflix.
