Season 1 of the One Piece Live-Action was one of Netflix’s biggest successes of 2023. So much so that the production of a second season went into effect almost immediately. The upcoming season is expected to be available for streaming sometime in 2025, and the new actors are slowly being revealed.
Fans were quick to find out that the first appearance of Ace, Luffy’s elder brother, will take place in the second season, and there has not been a single second of chill since then. Everyone needed to know who would be cast as the iconic character, and lo and behold, an unlikely leak revealed the information everyone was craving for.
Will Xolo Maridueña Play Ace in One Piece Live-Action Season 2?
Actor Mario Cortijo let slip in an interview that Xolo Maridueña would be the one to play Ace in the upcoming season of Netflix’s One Piece Live-Action series.
Ace…who’s actually played by Xolo Maridueña…
The actor seemed extremely confident in what he was saying, but as soon as the words slipped out of his mouth, he realized that the information was not public yet. He quickly redacted the statement but the damage was already done. After the success of season 1, big celebrity names are already lined up for the second season, so actor Xolo Maridueña joining the cast would not be surprising.
Fans are anticipating that Xolo Maridueña’s casting as Ace will be as perfect as Iñaki Godoy’s portrayal of Monkey D. Luffy. Xolo Maridueña plays Miguel Diaz in the Netflix action series, Cobra Kai, and the role of the protagonist has been extremely suitable for him. Fans are hoping that the actor can do Ace justice.
Why Xolo Maridueña is the Perfect Casting for Ace
In One Piece, Luffy is the brother of Ace, and both of them have insane chemistry with each other. If Xolo Maridueña is actually cast as Ace, he would have to face Godoy at one point. Fortunately, both the actors are friends in real life and it would be fun for them to act together.
In the Lone Lobos podcast, Xolo Maridueña addressed the rumor of him being cast as Ace and claimed:
Not yet. It’s a dream, but at the same time, it has to be right. I’ve got to audition for it. I’ve got to go the same route as everyone else. Unless they’re like, ‘Hey, this guy here is so perfect’.
Fans have considered this a made-up statement so that people are deterred from the leak, but it’s so obvious that it’s almost funny. Having said that, fans are now completely invested in Maridueña’s role as Ace, and if it turns out that all of this was actually just a rumor, people would be pretty upset.
Ace plays a huge role in One Piece, but that is more than halfway into the plot. Season 2 of One Piece might adapt the Alabasta Saga, where Ace’s role is minuscule. Even if Maridueña has already acquired the role, fans would only get a glimpse of the character in season 2.
One Piece manga is available to read on Viz Media and the anime is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
