A dream live-action One Piece casting that once looked overly ambitious feels distinctly plausible after a season 2 announcement. One Piece‘s successful debut season cemented the series as Netflix’s best live-action anime adaptation to date, but did so without the benefit of major stars. One Piece‘s season 1 cast comprised almost entirely of lesser-known actors, with the most notable exception being a surprise voice cameo from John Wick and Game of Thrones star Ian McShane in episode 1. Ultimately, One Piece prioritized casting the right actors over casting recognizable actors, and that strategy paid off handsomely.

One Piece could, however, have the best of both worlds: perfect casting with a sprinkling of star power. That appears to be the direction One Piece season 2 is taking after David Dastmalchian was announced as Netflix’s Mr. 3. Best known for The Suicide Squad, Ant-Man, The Dark Knight, Gotham, and The Flash, as well as non-superhero projects like Late Night with the Devil, Dastmalchian – a genuinely significant name in modern Hollywood – is by far the most famous face to join One Piece‘s live-action world thus far. His recruitment also makes a dream season 2 casting much more likely.

After One Piece Season 2’s Mr. 3 Casting, Jamie Lee Curtis As Kureha Is Finally Possible

One Piece Season 2’s Cast Has Some Seriously Big Bounties

By some distance, the most popular live-action One Piece fan casting is Jamie Lee Curtis as Kureha – the mentor of future Straw Hat crew member Tony Tony Chopper, and a character who will likely feature in season 2, albeit briefly. The calls for Curtis to portray Kureha in Netflix’s One Piece adaptation have been elevated beyond the realm of hopeful speculation by the actor herself, who has expressed interest in playing Kureha on several occasions.

Jamie Lee Curtis is very clearly the perfect Kureha, and her passion for the character makes the casting even more perfect, but turning dreams into reality is another matter. Curtis is an A-list movie star at the height of her powers after winning the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2022 for Everything Everywhere All At Once. Even if she is a One Piece fan, the notion of Jamie Lee Curtis joining an anime adaptation with a relatively unknown cast, and playing a character who is unlikely to appear in more than two episodes, previously felt unattainable.

David Dastmalchian’s casting, however, proves One Piece season 1’s success is allowing the show to draw bigger names. More importantly, those big names aren’t necessarily playing major characters, as Mr. 3 will have more or less the same prominence in Netflix’s adaptation as Kureha, according to the source material. For the first time, therefore, the prospect of Jamie Lee Curtis – Oscar-winning, household name, cinematic icon Jamie Lee Curtis – rocking up as Kureha in One Piece season 2 is within reach.

David Dastmalchian As Mr. 3 Proves How Big One Piece Season 1 Really Was

Irrespective of whether more Hollywood stars climb aboard One Piece in season 2, David Dastmalchian’s casting as Mr. 3 provides a sure indication of just how much success the debut season enjoyed. The critical acclaim is clear: Netflix’s One Piece holds an 85% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes alongside an even higher 95% audience score. Considering most live-action anime adaptations struggle to make double digits, that alone is hugely impressive. One Piece backed up those positive reactions by keeping Netflix happy too.

The streamer is infamously choppy when it comes to cancelations, so One Piece season 2’s very existence proves Netflix was satisfied with season 1’s performance. More evidence can be found in Netflix’s own viewership data, which reveals One Piece as the top TV release in the second half of 2023, racking up 71.6 million views – an astounding number by any measure. The big, Luffy-shaped dent in the side of Netflix’s biannual report perhaps explains why One Piece season 2 is now attracting actors like David Dastmalchian, and demonstrates why fans shouldn’t give up on the dream of Jamie Lee Curtis as Kureha just yet.

Sources: Rotten Tomatoes, Netflix