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Xolo Maridueña Reveals How He’s Bringing Ace to Life in One Piece Season 2

Xolo Maridueña Reveals How He’s Bringing Ace to Life in One Piece Season 2
Image credit: Legion-Media

One Piece’s live-action momentum has fans already crowning Cobra Kai standout Xolo Maridueña as Portgas D. Ace, but the actor says the rumor mill blindsided him and he doesn’t know where it started.

One Piece season 2 casting rumors have zero chill right now, and the loudest one is that Cobra Kai star Xolo Mariduena is playing Luffy's fire-punching foster brother, Portgas D. Ace. There is just one problem: Xolo says he has no idea where that came from.

Where the Xolo-as-Ace buzz started

This did not come out of nowhere. Netflix keeps tossing kindling on the fire, and fans have connected every dot in sight. The short version:

  • Xolo and Luffy actor Inaki Godoy met on the Cobra Kai set, and Netflix filmed a playful crossover bit for its Still Watching Netflix channel. The two stroll into the Miyagi-do backyard, a guy confronts them, and they fight side-by-side. One Piece fans clocked it instantly: that dynamic looks a lot like Luffy and Ace during the Marineford arc. It played like a chemistry test.
  • People also noticed the two already look like brothers (which fits, since Luffy and Ace are foster brothers, not blood). Xolo casually calling Inaki "brother" did not help tamp things down. A fan even joked "Miguel D. Ace," mashing up Xolo's Cobra Kai character with Ace's name.
  • Then came Geeked Week. Netflix US posted a group photo featuring Xolo alongside a few of the One Piece cast. A commenter wrote:
"Ace and Buggy together!!!"

The official Netflix account liked that comment and replied in a way fans took as a wink. Subtle? Not really.

Xolo reacts: confusion, not confirmation

On a podcast with Straw Hat Goofy (via his Instagram @straw_hat_goofy), Xolo addressed the Ace chatter head-on. He said he has not been cast and seemed genuinely baffled by how far the rumor had spread, especially with Netflix leaning into the speculation on social.

Adding to the weirdness, Brazilian actor Lucas Amorim, who has been openly campaigning to play Ace, allegedly told a friend of Straw Hat Goofy that he had a shot but Xolo was already locked in. That secondhand claim only deepened Xolo's confusion. So yeah, the rumor mill has been on spin cycle.

Would Xolo be a good Ace?

Honestly, the fit makes sense. He has the look and the physicality, he already moves well in fight scenes thanks to Cobra Kai, and he can handle the emotional stuff (see Blue Beetle and, again, Cobra Kai). On top of that, he and Inaki have an easy big-brother/little-brother vibe, which is the whole point of Luffy and Ace.

But casting is not a fan poll. If he does land Ace (and fans are betting on him showing up in season 2), it should be because he crushed the audition and because Eiichiro Oda and Netflix agree he embodies the character. Until that happens, this is smoke without fire.

For now, Xolo says he is not Ace. Fans still think he is. Netflix keeps nudging. We will see who is right when the casting becomes official.

One Piece's live-action series is streaming on Netflix.