One Piece Season 3 Casts Award-Winning Broadway Powerhouse as Fan-Favorite Assassin Mister 2

Netflix is already moving pieces around for One Piece season 3 before season 2 even drops, and the first big swing is a fun one: Deadline says Cole Escola is playing Mister 2. Yes, that Cole Escola — the Broadway scene-stealer behind the hit play 'Oh, Mary!' and now a Tony winner. Pair an unapologetically theatrical performer with One Piece's most flamboyant agent of chaos? That checks out.

So, who is Mister 2 and why is this perfect?

Mister 2 is one of the franchise's most memorable personalities — a larger-than-life performer who fights like a tornado and loves making an entrance. Casting Escola feels like Netflix leaning into the character's showmanship instead of sanding it down, which is the right call for this series. The show will portray Mister 2 as non-binary to reflect Escola's own identity, which also tracks with how the character has always played: outsized, fluid, and proudly themselves.

Season 3 news... before season 2?

Yep. Season 2 is still a few months off, but season 3 casting is already happening. That is early, but it suggests Netflix is confident in where this ship is headed.

Quick refresher on the show (and who is who)

One Piece follows Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy), a rubber-powered optimist sailing the Grand Line to find the legendary treasure called the One Piece so he can become Pirate King. Along the way, he picks up an eccentric crew — not a clue, a crew — who fight, bicker, and generally wreck anyone who underestimates them. The core cast: Mackenyu as sword fanatic Roronoa Zoro, Emily Rudd as thief-turned-navigator Nami, Jacob Romero as sharpshooter Usopp, and Taz Skylar as kick-first-ask-later chef Sanji.

Why fans are into this version

The live-action take actually respects the manga and anime's tone and heart, which is why it dodged the usual curse that hits anime adaptations. It is colorful, earnest, and weird in the right ways — and adding someone like Escola for Mister 2 tells me they are doubling down on that approach.

• Deadline reports Cole Escola will play Mister 2 in season 3; the character will be portrayed as non-binary
• Escola is a Tony-winning Broadway star best known for writing and starring in 'Oh, Mary!' as Mary Todd Lincoln
• One Piece stars Iñaki Godoy (Luffy), Mackenyu (Zoro), Emily Rudd (Nami), Jacob Romero (Usopp), and Taz Skylar (Sanji)
• Season 2 premieres on Netflix on March 10, 2026
• Season 3 does not have a release date yet
• The series has earned praise from fans and critics for sticking close to Eiichiro Oda's source material

Bottom line

Escola as Mister 2 is inspired casting and a smart signal about season 3's tone. If season 2 sticks the landing next March, this character is exactly the kind of bold, crowd-pleasing chaos the show should unleash next.