Following the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike, One Piece star Iñaki Godoy, who plays the role of Monkey D. Luffy, has finally addressed the massive success of the live-action Netflix adaptation.
On his Instagram, Godoy shared his personal statement, revealing how much it meant for him to be part of the live-action One Piece series. He also expressed how grateful and happy he is for the support he’s been getting from fans all around the world, who helped him make his dreams come true. Along with his statement, the breakout star posted several behind-the-scenes photos from the set of One Piece Season 1, as well as a video of him giving a speech to the crew during his final day of filming.
"This is it, the moment in which I put on Luffy’s straw hat for the first time. I didn’t know what to expect at all, I just knew that I would move forward with courage and passion, like Luffy would," Godoy wrote. "Now, more than a year after that picture was taken, I can confidently say One Piece is a huge part of who I am, not just as an actor, but as a person. It gave me new friends that I will hold close to my heart forever, a stronger will to act with bravery in difficult situations, and most importantly, it reminded [me] of my own dreams and why I should never give up on them."
He continued, "Just like a lot of you, Luffy and One Piece pushes me to be the best version of myself, and it has changed my life in many ways. I’m so grateful that I get to be your live action Luffy, and it makes me happy that more people around the world can get to know this super awesome captain and his crew. Thank you for all the drawings, the messages, the Halloween costumes and the videos; they make me so happy!!! It was always my dream to play a character like this, and now, it has come true."
One Piece Season 2 Will Highlight Luffy's Leadership
The live-action One Piece series scored its Season 2 renewal just two weeks after its series debut. At the moment, showrunners Matt Owens and Steven Maeda are busy crafting the storylines and scripts for the next installment. Now that the actors’ strike has ended, it's likely that the creative team will soon begin their casting search for the new characters who will be joining Season 2. Fans are also eagerly anticipating an update regarding Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis’ potential casting as Dr. Kureha after she publicly declared her intention to lobby for the role once the strikes were over.
According to Owens, One Piece Season 2 will center around Luffy’s role as the captain of the Straw Hats. "Without saying too much, and speaking to any new characters that we might meet, I would say a major theme that we’re working with in Season 2 is the challenge of leadership," he teased. Besides Godoy, the next installment will continue to star Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro, Emily Rudd as Nami, Taz Skyler as Sanji and Jacob Romero Gibson as Usopp. They will finally be joined by fan-favorite character Tony Tony Chopper as the sixth member/resident doctor of the Straw Hats.
One Piece Season 1 is available to stream on Netflix.
Source: Instagram
