One Piece live-action is going places, especially with its worldwide popularity. The series, based on Eiichiro Oda’s manga of the same name, is highly praised for its fan casting. Usually, it’s fans who pitch in their casting, but this time, Jacob Romero saw major potential in David Bautista, and here’s how it went!
Jacob Romero pitches Team David Bautista for Jinbei’s role
Back in 2024 at GalaxyCon, Jacob Romero and Emily Rudd were asked which actors they would pitch in for future characters in One Piece live-action. Romero responded by saying
“Like uh Dave Bautista as Jinbe. I just like, he’s big, and I want to hug him. That was not all, as Rudd went on to share her fan casting for Franky being John Cena, to which Romero replied, “Yeah, but then how can you see him?”
This had the actress in stitches, but on a serious note, Romero’s pitch is fascinating if you think about it. The actor plays the role of Usopp, a skilled sniper and a master weapon maker in Straw Hat Luffy’s pirate crew.
As for Jinbei, he is a loyal, headstrong, and compassionate Yonko, very much unlike his fellow Yonko and Fishmen, who looked down on humans. While most fishmen harbored hatred for humans, Jinbei saw hope and change in Luffy.
He is one of the crucial core members of the Straw Hat crew who mostly acts as the helmsman of the Ship. Fans have also so far encouraged the idea of Bautista playing the role, and they seem to be mostly in favor of it.
Bautista has a love for anime and a penchant for voice acting, as suggested by some sources. He voiced the Parakeet King in the Oscar-winning Studio Ghibli movie The Boy and the Heron.
Not only that, Bautista voices Tagah in Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender, which will release this October. It is still unclear if he’s a One Piece fan; however, the actor has received massive appreciation from the fanbase.
As of now, One Piece live-action will unveil the Arabasta Saga, which will set the stage for Season 3. It is slated for release in 2027.
