Fans had a fair amount of skepticism late last year when Netflix confirmed work on a live-action Cowboy Bebop series. Now, The Hollywood Reporter has the first details on who will star in the the ten-episode series.
John Cho (Star Trek, Searching) has been cast as fan favorite, Spike Spiegel. His character’s description lists him as “an impossibly cool ‘cowboy’ (bounty hunter) with a deadly smile, a wry wit, and style to spare.”
Backing him up is Luke Cage actor Mustafa Shakir, who will play Spike’s partner Jet Black. He serves as “one of the few honest cops in the solar system before an ultimate betrayal robbed him of all that he loved, forcing him into a vagabond life of hunting bounties to put food on the table. Jet is an inveterate jazz enthusiast and Captain of the Bebop.”
Daniella Pineda, who previously starred in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, is also on board as Faye Valentine. She’ll serve as a right-hand woman alongside Spiegel and Black, utilizing her con artist skills. British actor Alex Hassell rounds out the cast as Spiegel’s former partner Vicious.
THR also revealed that Alex Garcia Lopez would direct two installments of the ten-episode series. He previously worked on such shows as Daredevil, Luke Cage and Cloak and Dagger. Meanwhile, Christopher Yost, writer of various Avengers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated shows, will write the first episode.
Related: Live Action Cowboy Bebop TV Series In Development
With the announcement of Cho and his fellow cast mates, fan responses to Cowboy Bebop have been strong on social media. You can see some of those posts below.
I don’t watch a lot of anime outside of what Watanabe makes (it’s the music, guys.)
This announcement of the cast for the live action Cowboy Bebop has me losing my mind. SO GOOD.https://t.co/YODftgTvlq
— Seanpai Notices YOU (@SeanTheBaptiste) April 4, 2019
This is surprisingly OK. https://t.co/BdR5coRIE4
— Max Covill (@mhcovill) April 4, 2019
This is surprisingly OK. https://t.co/BdR5coRIE4
— Max Covill (@mhcovill) April 4, 2019
john! cho! as! spike! spiegel!
an ATTACKhttps://t.co/5RhKWjAD89
— discourse wallah (@krutika) April 4, 2019
OH. MY. GOD. https://t.co/thZ1zl1OqX
— Angie J. Han (@ajhan) April 4, 2019
Cowboy Bebop doesn’t have a release date. However, with the cast in place, production should begin soon.
What do you think about this casting news, space cowboy? Let us know in the comment section below!
