Netflix has announced the first cast members for their upcoming Cowboy Bebop live-action series. We first learned that the streaming service had locked down a deal to bring the classic anime to life last November and now we know who is going to be portraying most of the main characters in the series. John Cho (Star Trek), Mustafa Shakir (Luke Cage), Daniella Pineda (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) and Alex Hassell (Suburbicon) have all officially signed on, with a search still on for someone to take on the role of Radical Ed.
John Cho will play Spike Spiegel, described as an impossibly cool "cowboy," aka bounty hunter. He rocks a deadly smile and a wry wit, with style to spare. Spike traverses the solar system with his ex-cop partner, Jet, pursuing dangerous bounties, with his signature charm, charisma and deadly Jeet Kune Do. Speaking of Jet Black, that's who Mustafa Shakir is set to play. He was one of very few honest cops in the solar system before a devastating betrayal robbed him of everything he loved. Thus, he started a new life as a vagabond chasing down bounties to put food on the table. Jet loves jazz and serves as Captain of the Bebop.
Daniella Pineda will portray Faye Valentine, who is described as a bold, brash and unpredictable bounty hunter. She suffers from amnesia thanks to years of being cryogenically frozen. She does whatever is necessary to survive, be it lying, stealing, or just being a thorn in the side of Spike and Jet. Last, but not least, we have Alex Hassell as Vicious. This is a man who enjoys a good kill, probably too much. He's the Syndicate's most infamous hitman, in addition to being Spike Spiegel's ex-partner and arch-enemy.
Cowboy Bebop originally debuted in 1997, running for just 26 episodes. However, its legacy has endured for more than two decades. The show centers on a rag-tag group of bounty hunters on the run from their pasts, as they hunt down the most dangerous criminals in the solar system. Shinichiro Watanabe, who directed the original anime, is on board as a creative consultant. Alex Garcia Lopez (Daredevil, The Punisher) is set to direct the first two episodes of the series. Netflix has given a ten-episode order for the first season.
Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec, Jeff Pinkner, Scott Rosenberg, Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements, Yasuo Miyakawa, Masayuki Ozaki, Shin Sasaki, Tetsu Fujimura and Matthew Weinberg serve as executive producers. Christopher Yost (Thor: Ragnarok) is on board to write the first episode and will also serve as an executive producer. It hasn't yet been announced when the series will go into production, nor has a release date been set. Though, a 2020 release date seems likely at this point. We'll be sure to keep you posted as any further details on the project are released. Feel free to check out photos of the cast with the official character descriptions from Netflix below.
Hi amigos and all 300,000 bounty hunters in the star system! Happy to announce that @JohnTheCho, @_mustafashakir_, @Maniella, and Alex Hassell have been cast in the #CowboyBebop Live Action TV Drama.
— NX (@NXOnNetflix) April 4, 2019
SPIKE...
— NX (@NXOnNetflix) April 4, 2019
Haunted by visions of the woman he loved and lost, Julia, Spike’s criminal past slowly catches up to him — putting him and the Bebop crew in the crosshairs of the solar system’s most lethal criminal organization, the Syndicate. pic.twitter.com/NurBCkDyPO
JET…
— NX (@NXOnNetflix) April 4, 2019
Jet holds tight to his honor and optimism, acting as a father figure to his misfit crew, always seeing the best in his partner, Spike… until it’s too late. pic.twitter.com/X2fePKoM7E
FAYE…
— NX (@NXOnNetflix) April 4, 2019
She’s always on the search for the person with the key to her identity. In the meantime, she’ll fake it till she makes it. pic.twitter.com/UJDP1ZDQeA
VICIOUS…
— NX (@NXOnNetflix) April 4, 2019
Once he was Spike’s best friend, now he’s his mortal enemy and is obsessed with taking him down. pic.twitter.com/PWXmn023JD