Netflix has found big success with its One Piece adaptation, and if this results in a blossoming live-action franchise, Matt Owens already has an idea for a potential spinoff.
Owens, who serves as co-showrunner, writer, and executive producer on the Netflix series, recently spoke about the live-action One Piece in a Reddit AMA, fielding several fan questions about the show. In response to a fan asking if there would be spinoffs, Owens said, “I would love for that to be the case! There are so many stories we have yet to fully dive into. I’d love to do a young Mihawk series. Seeing his rise through the world, interacting with other prominent figures from the past.”
It remains to be seen if there will be spinoffs, but at the very least, there will be a second season for One Piece. The future of the show will also be allowing Owens to tackle other characters who’ve yet to be adapted from the manga, and he expressed his excitement at getting to characters like Law and Carrot. Owens also spoke more about the challenges of adapting Chopper for the live-action series.
“We’re exploring a lot of options for how to do Chopper,” Owens said. “The most important thing is getting him right. We’ll go with whatever avenue that allows us to do our emergency food justice.”
One Piece Rises Above Other Manga Adaptations at Netflix
While other Netflix adaptations like Death Note and Cowboy Bebop haven’t been big hits for the streamer, One Piece has been an incredible success. After debuting to very high viewership and strong reviews, the series was officially renewed just two weeks after its premiere. What was even better news was that the One Piece team had been preparing for the potential renewal, as Season 2 had already been in development before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. That head start will help shorten the wait to an extent for Season 2, though the casting process won’t be able to continue until the actors’ strike ends.
One likely addition to the show is Jamie Lee Curtis as Dr. Kureha, as both sides have publicly shown interest in making that potential casting happen. In the Reddit AMA, Owens also named Mike Colter and Clark Gregg as two other actors he’d love to see get involved with the series. That was in response to a fan asking him which actors from his past work he’d want to reunite with for One Piece, as Owens had respectively worked with the two on the Marvel shows Luke Cage and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
“Love Mike [Colter]! Would be great to bring him on,” Owens said. “I also adore Clark Gregg and think he’d have a lot of fun playing in the One Piece world.”