One Piece Live Action season 2's Joe Manganiello reveals discussion with Oda on Crocodile's origins

Modified Mar 31, 2025 10:22 GMT

Monday, March 24, 2025, saw One Piece Live Action season 2 star Joe Manganiello, who plays Crocodile, reveal his recent discussion with creator Eiichiro Oda on Crocodile’s origins. This information came up in a recent interview Manganiello did to promote the finale of the Deal or No Deal Island season 2 American reality show, which Manganiello hosts.

During the interview, his upcoming role in One Piece Live Action season 2 was brought up, where Manganiello discussed the challenges in representing such a canonically established character. In the process, he also touched on his recent talks with Oda regarding the mysteries still surrounding Crocodile’s character, including how he ended up leading Baroque Works.

One Piece Live Action season 2 star Joe Manganiello emphasizes interest in how Crocodile became who he is

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In his latest interview, One Piece Live Action season 2’s Joe Manganiello first dives into what it’s like embracing and portraying a character with such a pre-established history. He first compares it to his role on HBO’s True Blood as Alcide Herveaux and the challenges in “embodying a character that people love and are waiting for.” He called the experience playing Crocodile somewhat similar, clarifying that the “post-modern nature” of the series made it unique.

He further called the experience surreal and dreamlike as a result of this post-modern nature, diving into what makes Crocodile so unique, like his missing limb. After clarifying that the story behind the missing limb has yet to be explained in the source material, he excitedly shared his opportunity to share his thoughts with Oda. The two also discussed where his scar came from, how he came to lead Baroque Works, and where his Devil Fruit came from.

The season 2 star added that he had to “breathe life into a three-dimensional character” with plenty of backstory and the weight Crocodile carries likewise. Manganiello clarifies that there’s also a need to pay his respects to the fanbase through his performance with the proper timing and action. Manganiello ends the interview’s section on his upcoming role by clarifying that it has “been a blast” to portray Crocodile despite the stakes.

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The interview takes a different direction after this brief discussion, but the roughly three minutes of dialogue from Manganiello on the role is extremely telling and encouraging. It’s clear that he has significant respect for the role and fans’ expectations of how Crocodile is portrayed. Simultaneously, his speaking with Oda on some of the reasons behind Crocodile’s current circumstances also shows a desire to reveal a side of the character fans haven’t yet seen.

As of this article’s writing, the second season of Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Oda’s original manga series has yet to announce a release date. However, fans can expect the series to premiere soon, with filming having reportedly begun in June 2024.