The production of One Piece Live Action Season 2 is underway at full throttle. This week, we got a series of announcements regarding the new cast. Nefertari Cobra, Nefertari Vivi, and Dr. Kureha are some of the characters whose star cast has been announced. Surprisingly, one character who doesn’t appear in the manga until Chapter 705, might be there in season 2 of the live action.
Reportedly, Nahum Hughes has been cast as Bartolomeo. Although, there’s no official announcement regarding this yet. An important character appearing before they’re canonically supposed to is bound to spark numerous questions. But for Bartolomeo, this is a lore accurate decision.
Nahum Hughes’ Casting as Bartolomeo
In the manga and anime, Bartolomeo made his first appearance during the Dressrosa Arc of One Piece. It was revealed that he was present at Luffy’s execution in Loguetown, the miracle that happened inspired him to become a pirate. As we know that season 2 of the live action will pick up the story from Loguetown, Bartolomeo can be introduced without straying from the original story. This makes the supposed casting of Nahum Hughes as Bartolomeo pretty exciting.
Hughes is a fairly new actor, so his part in the series will give fans an opportunity to build a fresh opinion of him. Bartolomeo can be a difficult character to play as the moment in Loguetown was a life-changing one. It’s not certain how much screentime he’ll get, but he’s rowdy and nonchalant for the most part.
Having him present will be a great treat for the pre-existing fans of One Piece as they know how that moment will impact the character. As for new fans, he’ll be a peculiar character who will go on to play a huge part in the series. He’ll undoubtedly be a great addition to the cast, if done right. Before fans start expecting to see him in the upcoming season, here’s a reminder that this is still an unofficial announcement.
Here’s Why Bartolomeo’s Inclusion is a Good Sign
Depending on how it’s done, Bartolomeo can be a great way to show the power of Luffy. Even at a point as early as Loguetown, with limited feats, his presence moved people to change their way of living. Given how long it’ll take to reach Dressrosa, we might never get to that stage in the live action; unless they really scrunch the story and leave out important storylines.
Introducing such plot points early on, while staying true to the original story, is a great way to make the live action a more complete adaptation of the masterpiece that One Piece is. This decision highlights the commitment of everyone involved as they’re trying to enrich the experience through these mindful changes, in an attempt to enhance the enjoyment by keeping the current events of the manga in mind.
One Piece Live Action is available to stream on Netflix.
