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Cast and Promotions: Who’s Returning and Who’s Upgraded
Netflix has officially unveiled the initial cast roster for One Piece Season 3 as production rolls into South Africa. The Straw Hat crew returns led by Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy, Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro, Emily Rudd as Nami, Jacob Romero as Usopp and Taz Skylar as Sanji. Charithra Chandran will also reprise her role as Miss Wednesday.
Several actors who appeared in Season 2 have been promoted to series regulars for Season 3: Mikaela Hoover (Chopper), Joe Manganiello (Mr. 0), Lara Aboah (Miss All Sunday) and Sendhil Ramamurthy (Nefertari Cobra) will all have expanded, recurring roles. New additions confirmed earlier include Cole Escola as Ben Beckman and Sholto Mariduena as Portgas D. Ace, with more cast announcements expected as filming continues.
Production, Creative Team, and What This Means
The live-action One Piece is a collaborative production between Netflix, Tomorrow Studios (in partnership with ITV Studios) and Shueisha, following the bestselling manga by Eiichiro Oda. Matt Owens and Joe Tracz served as showrunners, writers and executive producers for Season 2; for Season 3, Tracz will continue in that role alongside Ian Stokes. Executive producers also include Eiichiro Oda, Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements, Tetsu Fujimura, and others credited through Tomorrow Studios.
Shooting in South Africa signals a continued investment in large-scale location work and practical effects rather than relying solely on CGI, which many fans applauded after Season 1’s visual choices. Season 2 — titled One Piece: Into the Grand Line — became one of Netflix’s most-watched shows following its March 10, 2025 release, boosting expectations and pressure on Season 3 to expand the world and raise the stakes.
Why this matters for anime-to-live-action adaptations
The Netflix One Piece series arrives amid renewed interest (and scrutiny) in live-action adaptations of popular anime and manga. Comparisons to other recent adaptations—both successful and controversial—are inevitable: fans and critics alike now examine fidelity to source material, casting chemistry, and production scale. The promotion of Season 2 actors to regulars suggests the show is leaning into a larger ensemble approach, rewarding characters and arcs that resonated with viewers.
Behind the scenes, fans have been active in shaping the conversation. Social media reactions to cast announcements typically mix excitement with detailed fandom debate about portrayal, costume design and how faithfully the series will interpret iconic story beats.
Overall, Season 3 looks poised to deepen the epic, nautical adventure at the heart of One Piece while expanding its world on screen. Expect more cast reveals and production updates as filming continues in South Africa.
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