One Piece Season 2 is one of the most hotly anticipated streaming titles coming in 2025, as Season 1 quickly made it one of the best shows on Netflix. This is especially true after the casting of David Dastmalchian as Mr. 3, and it looks like another big name may be joining the live-action adaptation of the beloved anime. Fans online seem to think they’ve discovered evidence thatSons of Anarchy actress Katey Sagal has joined the cast to play a popular character.
Fans will see the Straw Hat Pirates continue their journey on the grand line after Season 1 wound up being one of Netflix’s most-watched originals in 2023. We know Season 2 is currently in production right now, which brings us to the theory that Sagal is a yet-to-be-revealed cast member, playing a character those familiar with the manga and anime will know well.
Why One Piece Fans Think Katey Sagal Is Playing Dr. Kureha
Katey Sagal was recently a guest on Howie Mandel Does Stuff, and amidst a conversation about her numerous iconic roles across a fantastic career, she talked very vaguely about a new project she has on the horizon. Take a look at what she said below, and why some One Piece fans think it’s evidence that she’s playing Dr. Kureha in the live-action version (via @KateyThings):
Very soon, I’m going very far away to do something I can’t talk about. . . . Next year! It’ll be on Netflix next year.
One Piece is currently in production in South Africa, which certainly counts as being”very far” from the United States. Additionally, I could see it being one of the few big productions overseas that is also airing in 2025 out of everything new and coming to Netflix. Still, the actress didn’t say much else beyond doubling down on the secrecy, so I wouldn’t take this as 100% definitive evidence she was cast for One Piece.
That said, if it isn’t for this high-profile show, there aren’t immediately a ton of options that come to mind for other secretive Netflix projects filming in other countries that are coming out next year. There’s obviously Stranger Things, but that seems even less likely, even with that show’s stellar casting.
Katey Sagal would be a good fit for Dr. Kureha, the drinking doctor who ultimately became Tony Tony Chopper’s adoptive mother. It was a role One Piece fan Jamie Lee Curtis was interested in playing at one point, but we recently learned her schedule didn’t allow for that to happen. If Sagal is the next best option, and I’ll remind everyone we have no clue if that’s the case, I’d be 100% down for that, as she excels in both comedy and drama.
If Dr. Kureha Is Cast, Who Will Play Chopper?
If Dr. Kureha was cast, that would feasibly mean we’re closer to learning who will play the Straw Hat crew’s Doctor, Tony Tony Chopper. Chopper ate a Devil Fruit that allowed him to transform from a simple reindeer into a humanoid reindeer capable of transformation between different forms. He learned all he knows about medicine from Dr. Hiriluk and Dr. Kureha on Drum Island and eventually sets sail with the Straw Hats in search of new medicines so that he can ultimately become the best doctor in the world.
It’s hard to say whether or not Chopper’s actor will be a well-known or new actor, as Netflix has seemingly pulled in a mixture of both. It’s even rumored that Cobra Kai star Xolo Maridueña will appear at some point in Season 2 to play Luffy’s brother Ace, so I’m not sure who to expect as Chopper! I can say, however, that if all of these rumored castings pan out, I will be one happy camper waiting for this new season.
As mentioned, One Piece Season 2 is still in production, but will eventually stream for everyone with a Netflix subscription. Check out the anime in the meantime to see why everyone is so excited for the next season, and to see this series continue to grow with such a strong cast.