One Piece Casting Rigo Sanchez as Dragon May Come with a Price Too High to Pay For the Live-Action
One Piece is taking the internet by storm once again, as the latest manga chapters have the fandom buzzing, especially with the reveal of Shanks’ twin brother. 2025 won’t just mark the return of anime but also the highly anticipated comeback of Netflix’s live-action series, making it a year to remember for One Piece fans.
Defying expectations, One Piece Live Action emerged as a meticulously crafted series for both old and new fans. With Season 1 becoming Netflix’s most-watched series, fans are eagerly awaiting the release of the highly anticipated sequel.
A few months back, the casting announcements for One Piece Season 2 took the internet by storm, with Hollywood stars joining the team. Now, as production wraps up, Netflix surprises fans by revealing three new cast members for the sequel, including a fan-favorite character whose addition has sparked both excitement and concern.
Netflix’s One Piece Season 2: Dragon’s casting sparks chaos in the fandom
Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece live-action is arguably the most successful Netflix anime-adaptation series. It’s already confirmed that Season 2 will feature Luffy and his crew’s venture from Logue-Town to Drum Island.
Netflix’s One Piece Season 1 earned widespread praise for its casting, with each Straw Hat member perfectly bringing beloved characters to life, raising fans’ expectations even higher for Season 2.
Following the announcement of Captain Smoker, another highly anticipated fan-favorite character has been revealed, sending the internet into a frenzy.
On January 15, 2025, three major casting announcements for One Piece Live Action Season 2 were revealed, including Rigo Sanchez as Monkey D. Dragon, Luffy’s biological father.
Dragon made his first short appearance in the anime when he saved Luffy from Marine Soldier Smoker during the Logue-Town Arc.
Since the revelation of Logue-Town and Vice-Admiral Smoker, anime fans were waiting for Dragon’s appearance in Season 2 and eagerly waited for confirmation, which Netflix has finally delivered.
The casting announcement of Dragon has increased the excitement for One Piece Season 2 but has also raised some concerns among fans. The biggest worry is that if Netflix follows the timeline of the anime, Dragon’s next major appearance might be significantly delayed.
By then, the fans might get worried that Rigo Sanchez has aged beyond his role and may not have much of a chance left for a longer term Netflix plan
World’s Worst Criminal, the infamous Dragon, initiated the revolution against the corrupt World Government, surpassing Shanks in strength and noble actions.
It would be interesting to see how Netflix plans to bring this legendary character to life, especially with the high expectations already surrounding Season 2.
Eiichiro Oda goes all out as manga nears its conclusion
After witnessing Luffy taking on the Five Elders, where the victory seemed uncertain, the Straw Hats finally arrived at Elbaf, the arc that Oda-sensei has expressed the most excitement about drawing.
Furthermore, Loki’s recent reveal in the manga quickly took over the internet, leaving many fans amazed by Oda-sensei’s narrative skills.
Thanks to Joyboy’s Conqueror Haki, turning the tables and shattering Imu’s plan, Luffy and his friends manage to escape from Egghead Island, leaving Saint Saturn accountable for the mission’s failure.
Imu, who was left furious by Joyboy’s presence, killed Saturn, leaving nothing but his skull in the aftermath. Later, Oda-sensei introduces Garling Figarland, replacing Saturn as the Five Great Elders.
On top of that, some mythological references to Garling’s yokai transformation are now reviving Shank’s evil twin theory, leaving many fans astounded. As the manga nears its conclusion, fans can finally expect Oda-sensei to start unraveling the biggest mysteries of the One Piece universe.
One Piece Live Action is available to watch on Netflix.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
