The anticipation for Chainsaw Man Season 2 is high after a stellar first season.
Chainsaw Man became one of the biggest anime shows in 2022. Season 1 was well received by critics, earning a 97% critic rating and an 89% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The anime premiered on Crunchyroll on October 11, 2022, and it follows the story of a teenage boy named Denji who is living with a Chainsaw Devil named Pochita. After dying, Denji makes a contract with Pochita and gets revived as Chainsaw Man.
Will Chainsaw Man Season 2 Release?
Chainsaw Man made its debut in October 2022 with a 12-episode first season.
However, there is no official release date yet for Chainsaw Man Season 2. In fact, MAPPA has yet to announce if a sophomore season will even be made.
Despite that, many believed that a Season 2 is a no-brainer for Chainsaw Man, especially after a highly-praised first season. As the first season of Chainsaw Man became the third-most-watched anime of 2022, this massive viewership could serve as a clear sign for MAPPA that a second season should be greenlit.
If an official announcement for a Chainsaw Man Season 2 happens this year, fans will likely expect a release sometime in 2024 due to the efficiency of Studio MAPPA's production process.
Was Chainsaw Man Season 2 Delayed?
During this year's edition of MAPPA Stage, via Sportskeeda, fans were left disappointed when the studio didn't release any trailer or release date for Chainsaw Man Season 2.
The aforementioned event only revealed a showcase of famous scenes from Season 1 while still featuring some of the anime's cast members.
The lack of updates about Chainsaw Man Season 2 suggests that the follow-up could be delayed.
Interestingly, Sportskeeda explored in a separate report why MAPPA could've already decided to delay Season 2. In the feature, the outlet pointed out that MAPPA's CEO Manabu Ohtsuka claimed that the anime didn't live up to its expectations despite incredible reviews and profitability.
The CEO was reportedly left unsatisfied since the level of impact wasn't the same as that of Jujutsu Kaisen.
Meanwhile, the same report also tackled the complaints of some diehard fans about Chainsaw Man, such as the show's use of CGI and director Ryuu Nakayama's vision for the series.
In fact, a rumor, via ComicBook.com, claimed that Nakayama will be replaced as Chainsaw Man's director in Season 2.
As a result, finding a new director to helm the series while also developing Season 2's story could lead to further delays for Chainsaw Man's return.
Who Would Be Cast In Chainsaw Man Season 2?
Looking ahead, if Chainsaw Man Season 2 releases, it is expected to feature the same stellar Japanese and English voice cast from Season 1.
Below is a full list of expected voice actors returning in Season 2:
- Denji - Kikunosuke Toya (Japanese) / Ryan Colt Levy (English)
- Pochita - Shiori Izawa (Japanese) / Lindsay Seidel (English)
- Kobeni - Karin Takahashi (Japanese) / Bryn Apprill (English)
- Hirokazu Arai - Taku Yashiro (Japanese) / Jarrod Greene (English)
- Kishibe - Kenjirou Tsuda (Japanese) / Jason Douglas (English)
- Katana Man - Daiki Hamano (Japanese) / Jason Marnocha (English)
- Aki Hayakawa - Shogo Sakata (Japanese) / Reagan Murdock (English)
- Power - Fairouz Ai (Japanese) / Sarah Wiedenheft (English)
- Makima - Tomori Kusunoki (Japanese) / Suzie Yeung (English)
Fans can also expect new voice cast members to be featured in Season 2.
What Could Happen in Chainsaw Man Season 2?
While a good chunk of Season 1 centered around Denji as he tries to adjust to his newfound Chainsaw in his head, Season 2 is poised to mainly focus on the titular character's quest to find the Gun Devil, a very powerful devil who embodies the fear of (you guessed it) guns.
Chainsaw Man star Ryan Colt Levy, who is the English voice actor for Denji, teased, via WeGotThisCovered, exciting things to come in a potential Season 2. The actor claimed that Season 1 was "tame compared to what's to come next" in the show's sophomore outing:
“If they follow it as fatefully as they do, I’m so so so excited for a lot of the other devils and fiends to get their time to shine because the show gets so much more weird and fun and strange and sad. There’s a lot. So many people are just finding this show through the anime and it’s going to take them on such a rollercoaster. And I’m just excited to see how people respond to it all […] Honestly, season one is tame compared to what’s to come next.”
Based on what Season 1 covered, there's a strong chance that Chainsaw Man Season 2 could end up exploring the "Bomb Girl Arc" and the "International Assassins Arc" from the manga.
Whatever the case, Denji's killing spree seems to be far from over.
Chainsaw Man Season 1 is available to stream on Hulu and Prime Video.
