Ahead of One Piece Season 2's Netflix debut, series newcomer Joe Manganiello teased his incoming series villain, the changes made to the character between the live-action and anime versions, and what he thinks of fans of the series.
Manganiello is set to appear in the second season of Netflix's live-action take on the One Piece world, arriving as one of several new characters popping up in Season 2.
Manganiello—best known for his work in True Blood, the Magic Mike films, and Deal or No Deal Island—will sail his way into the streaming adaptation of the beloved pirating anime as the dastardly Sir Crocodile (one of the leading franchise villains for the show going forward).
Joe Manganiello Teases His One Piece Season 2 Villain, Crocodile
During a recent interview, Joe Manganiello hinted at what fans can expect from his One Piece Season 2 villain as he talked about his upcoming appearance in the series for one of the first times.
Speaking with Parade about his work on Deal or No Deal Island Season 2, the topic of One Piece was brought up.
Following plenty of discussion about the dramatic events of the Deal or No Deal Island finale, Manganiello teased what fans have to look forward to with his take on Sir Crocodile in One Piece, the fan-favorite character from the anime and manga set to debut in the second season of Netflix's live-action adaptation.
"[I noticed] I am missing an arm. And other characters in the canon are missing limbs," the One Piece actor posited, sharing that his version of the character will address some unanswered questions, including how he lost his arm and how he got his iconic scarred face:
"What I love is that there are so many different spices put into the jambalaya mix. You know, I am missing an arm. And other characters in the canon are missing limbs, and they have things in common with why they are missing those limbs. And so it made me think about, 'How did I lose this?' Because there are things that have never been explained about the character in either the manga or the anime, and I had the opportunity to talk to Oda about my thoughts on where his scar came from, how the lost limb happened and the hook was replaced, his new choice of profession as casino owner and mob boss rather than pirate, the devil fruit."
He called the experience of coming onto the show after it had already started "a bit similar" to when he was cast in True Blood, describing his casting as "jumping on a movie train:"
"It is a bit similar to when I was cast on 'True Blood' to a certain degree. I appeared in Season 3 of 'True Blood,' and it was a series of very popular novels. So, embodying a character that people love and are waiting for that already has this established fanbase on a moving train, basically—I am jumping on a movie train—it is a little bit similar. With that said, there is a lot to digest, because of the post-modern nature of it. You are in this kind of Colonial Era pirate show, but there is like neon signs, and people are wearing Air Jordans. So, it is very surrealistic and dream-like."
Manganiello said that while his take on Crocodile will be different than anything seen before, as he moves the villain from "things [that] have appeared in two dimensions up until now" and are now becoming "three-dimensional [characters] where all of these things have back stories:"
"All of these things have appeared in two dimensions up until now, and I have to breathe life into a three-dimensional character where all of these things have back stories, and there is a weight of that that the character carries around."
However, he admitted he still wanted to honor the fans of the franchise by "tipping [his] hat" to what came before and "paying [his] respects to them through [his] performance:
"So, while also tipping my hat to the existing fan base and paying respect to the 1300+ episodes of the cartoon that Japanese fans and fans around the world love. So, I am paying my respects to them through my performance also. It has been a blast. It's been a blast."
Who Is One Piece Season 2's Sir Crocodile Character?
For those who do not know, the introduction of Sir Crocodile in One Piece Season 2 is a big deal.
While Iñaki Godoy's Luffy and his band of Straw Hat Pirates went up against some formidable foes (some of which will come back in Season 2, like Jeff Ward's Buggy the Clown), none will have the staying power like Joe Manganiello's Crocodile.
Crocodile is essentially the primary villain (at least early on) of the One Piece franchise. This is Spider-Man meeting Green Goblin. This is Batman meeting Joker. It is huge that the character is finally ready to arrive in the live-action One Piece scene.
Sir Crocodile is the leader of the mysterious criminal syndicate known as Baroque Works—something Luffy will have to grapple with prominently in Season 2.
He is a seasoned crime boss and Lord of the Sea, with prominent scars across his face and a hook on one hand. Like Luffy and many of the other super-powered One Piece pirates, Crocodile ate the Devil Fruit, awarding him the ability to turn his body into sand.
Luffy and co. first come into Crocodile's crosshairs during the Reverse Mountain arc from the anime and manga, which Season 2 will almost surely cover (read more about the One Piece arcs Season 2 will tackle here).
This first confrontation sees the Straw Hats come to blows with Baroque Works for the first time after they are taken prisoner by the mysterious criminal mob and forced to fight their way out.
The first meeting of the Straw Hats and Sir Crocodile's agents looks as though it will serve as the crux of Season 2's plot. Their eventual escape and newfound rivalry with Crocodile/Baroque Works are key to a potential Season 3 when Netflix's One Piece tackles the Arabasta Arc in full!
