It's been an exciting time for those eager to see Netflix's One Piece Season 2 hitting the upcoming Netflix TV schedule. Fresh off the heels of learning the actors playing key roles like Dr. Kureha, as well as the arcs being covered in upcoming episodes, we now have rumored casting news for the next Straw Hat to join Luffy's crew, Tony Tony Chopper. While the report is unconfirmed, I'm rooting for its veracity, as it points to what I hope the live-action series is doing with the character.
I think it's safe to say that Chopper's appearance in Netflix's One Piece is one of the most anticipated events set for Season 2, even more so than Nico Robin. Part of the hype is embedded in specific concerns about the humanoid Reindeer being brought to life in potentially non-impressive ways. But we may have a hint of how that will go down thanks to these rumors.
Gavin Gomes Has Allegedly Been Cast As "Heavy Point Chopper"
It's being alleged by a One Piece Live Action community on Discord that stunt actor Gavin Gomes will be playing "Heavy Point Chopper" in Season 2 (via @OP_Netflix_Fan). It's reported that Gomes initially listed the series and role on his CV, but has since updated it anew to remove the listing. If true, one can easily see how that kind of action would have implications with the show's fanbase.
For those not aware of what Heavy Point means, it's one of the forms Chopper can take thanks to his Human-Human Fruit. The Heavy Point transformation essentially gives Chopper the appearance of a peak athletic bodybuilder, which makes him much more capable in a fight than he usually is in his standard humanoid form.
Casting An Adult Muscular Actor For "Buff Point" Has Me Optimistic One Piece Will Use Practical Effects To Create Chopper
Assuming this casting is legit, and it's not just for motion capture, I'm optimistic that Netflix's One Piece is opting to use practical effects to bring Chopper to life rather than CGI. Given the amount of screen time the character will likely get in Season 2 and beyond, I think this is a great decision.
While One Piece Season 1 showed its SFX crew is capable of creating impressive visuals, it's presumably not at all inexpensive to feature an animated CGI characters who are constantly on-screen and interacting with live-action beings. With this dude, one actor would presumably be used to represent the muscular body, and a more average-sized actor would play the character's most common form.
Chopper is allegedly around the age of 15 when he joins the Straw Hat Pirates, though I'd say the anime makes him appear even younger than that. Had I not looked it up, I would've sooner guessed he was in the 9-12 age range. All this to say, having an actual child playing a central role in this cast might be a challenge for all involved, so I'd be fine with an older teenage actor playing the normal form of the ship's Doctor. This is all assuming Netflix's One Piece is indeed using such a strategy for how it will cast Chopper, and it's important to note that's not 100% guaranteed.
As I said before, Gavin Gomes may have been brought in for motion-capture filming that would later be filled with digital animation. Until we get official word from those involved with the show, we'll have to continue to wait and speculate.
Season 1 of the live-action One Piece, along with a sizable chunk of the anime, are available to stream with a Netflix subscription. As someone who is a big fan of both iterations, I'm watching the current Egghead anime arc while I wait for an official release date for Season 2, and it's so great!
