One Piece star McKinley Belcher III has addressed whether he'll be returning for the second season of the Netflix adaptation.
The actor played fish-man Arlong in the live-action series, which will release its second season in 2025. Speaking exclusively with Digital Spy, he shared that he would like to return to the show.
"Yes, I would like to be involved. I had a really good time shooting that first season and because of the lore, there's more stories to tell whenever they get to Fish-Man Island," he said, referencing the manga series.
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"So I am in contact with the showrunner and assuming the show has a life, hopefully I will have a life with it."
Taz Skylar, who played Sanji in the series, recently told Digital Spy that the cast were ready to get back into production.
"I love the way that they're adapting it, I love what they're doing with each one of our characters," Skylar said. "We all as a cast, as a team, as a crew, we are so excited to get back together, because the first time was such a great experience and we made so many great friends.
"And we love South Africa, so we all can't wait to go back there this year and hopefully knock it out of the park again."
Related: One Piece review: Is Netflix's live-action anime worth a watch?
Meanwhile, Belcher recently starred alongside Benedict Cumberbatch in crime drama Eric, which is set in 1980s New York.
Playing the role of Detective Michael Ledroit, Belcher told Digital Spy about the "weight on Ledroit's shoulders" as a "Black and queer man" in the "middle of the AIDS epidemic".
"There's a lot of compression that's happening in terms of how he's managing all the things that he must do. It's really exciting to show him wrestling with that, with the NYPD and the remnants of institutionalised racism, and watch him navigate how he can be the change," said Belcher.
The live-action One Piece is available to stream now on Netflix. while the anime can be streamed on Crunchyroll. Eric is now available to stream on Netflix.
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Divya is a freelance writer with experience in entertainment and lifestyle news. Described as a "telly addict" since childhood, Divya was able to translate her interests into a BJTC-accredited, Honours degree in Journalism and Media. After working in communications and marketing, Divya joined Digital Spy as a Freelance News Reporter. She has also written for various publications including Metro, Asian World News and TwitCelebGossip; as well as interviews, features and reviews on her own blog. Divya prides herself on her TV, film and showbiz knowledge, always offering (not so) fun facts to her long-suffering friends and family. From soaps to superheroes, Divya is the go-to person for tailored recommendations and up to date information.
After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival.
In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy, where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.
David has spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and in 2020, he created the Rainbow Crew interview series, which celebrates LGBTQ+ talent on both sides of the camera via video content and longform reads.
Beyond that, David has interviewed all your faves, including Henry Cavill, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Colman, Patrick Stewart, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Dornan, Regina King, and more — not to mention countless Drag Race legends.
As a freelance entertainment journalist, David has bylines across a range of publications including Empire Online, Radio Times, INTO, Highsnobiety, Den of Geek, The Digital Fix and Sight & Sound.
