For a few weeks now, we’ve been receiving confirmations for all the new additions to the second season of the One Piece live-action series — and we can’t say we’re at all upset about the Baroque Works casting. The main characters of the upcoming arcs, however, still remain quite a mystery.
By now, we know that the upcoming season of One Piece will cover the story up to Alabasta. Major characters like Crocodile, Ace, Kureha, and Dr. Hililuk will be introduced to fans — though we still have no clue who will be playing them. While we can be almost certain that as we get closer to the release date, we’ll finally learn who will be portraying these characters, we kind of want to play God here and try to guess who might be on the casting list for the world’s most tsundere doctor, Kureha, also known as Doctorine.
Jamie Lee Curtis
Perhaps the most popular casting option for Dr. Kureha is none other than Jamie Lee Curtis — to absolutely no one’s surprise. The Everything Everywhere All at Once actress has shown interest in playing Kureha multiple times, even before the live-action series was announced. Similarly, the OPLA showrunner Matt Owens has also suggested that their teams should talk, knowing full well that Lee Curtis would undeniably be the perfect Dr. Kureha.
Sadly, it appears that there might be a scheduling conflict, now that the actress is set to reprise her role as Tess in Freaky Friday 2 and shooting has already begun. Additionally, Curtis’s recent public support for Israel after the Hamas attack on October 7 has sparked controversy. Many fans, concerned about her political stance, have decided they no longer support Jamie Lee Curtis as Dr. Kureha, fearing that a Zionist might become associated with the idea of One Piece.
Jane Lynch
Perhaps the second most popular choice for Chopper’s mentor is the Golden Globe winner Jane Lynch. Known for her role as Sue Sylvester on Glee, it’s hard to picture her without her iconic red tracksuit — but we can definitely imagine her wearing Kureha’s signature sunglasses and leather jacket. There’s only one catch: Dr. Kureha is a very physical role. Despite being 141 years old, she’s still strong enough to beat up Sanji and Luffy for calling her old. Now, we can’t attest to Lynch’s physical prowess in a choreographed fight, but hey, that’s nothing a body double couldn’t solve.
Sarah Jessica Parker
When it comes to physical appearance — and Sarah Jessica Parker, if you read this, please don’t take it personally — the actress who would most likely knock it out of the park would undoubtedly be our favorite Carrie Bradshaw. Allow me to explain before you get defensive: Parker is absolutely gorgeous, but her facial structure and long blonde hair just scream Dr. Kureha. On top of that, we still remember her as Sarah Sanders, one of the witches in Hocus Pocus. Do you know who else is described as a witch? Dr. Kureha. Boom. Hire me as a casting director.
Emma Thompson
Yet another fictional witch portrayer on our list is Emma Thompson. Many of us grew up watching Thompson as Nanny McPhee and her odd yet fun adventures, so by now, we can be certain that she would embody Dr. Kureha like no other. While she might not be as physically ready to do some heavy stunting, much like some of the entries on this list, a body double would do the job quite nicely. However, we must admit that while she would be an amazing choice, surely the budget for the second season— no matter how large — would probably not benefit from casting one of Hollywood’s greatest gems.
Jessica Lange
Jessica Lange is an absolute icon. She’s the face of American Horror Story. We both fear and admire her, which is exactly how I would describe Dr. Kureha. By now, we know Lange can be incredibly intimidating when needed, but she can also portray caring characters or moments, making her an ideal choice for Dr. Kureha. Additionally, her dancing sequences in AHS demonstrate her physical prowess, so a fight scene would be no trouble for her. That is, of course, if Ryan Murphy is willing to let go of Jessica Lange, even just for a moment.
Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski is our youngest choice for Dr. Kureha, at just 55 years old. Listen, while we hope they select an older actress, we also know that Krakowski would excel in the role, especially after following her journey in the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Although she is more accustomed to comedy and musicals, her performance in One Piece would be a testament to her versatility as an actress. Regarding the age issue, it’s true that no one on this list is actually 141 years old — or anywhere in the world for that matter — but with some prosthetics and the right makeup, we could sure be convinced that she’s Dr. Kureha incarnate.
Gates McFadden
Gates McFadden has long been a popular fan choice to play Dr. Kureha, and we can see why. With a repertoire that includes titles like Star Trek, Fringe, and X-Men ’97, McFadden is well-versed in the sci-fi and fantasy realms, so One Piece would be a piece of cake for her, and she’d surely fit right in with the rest of the cast. Her brilliant acting, combined with her appearance — which, oddly enough, reminds us of Kureha (though we might be biased) — would be perfect for the most emotional scenes ahead. On top of that, she’s also in Netflix’s Master of the Universe, which reduces the likelihood of any pay issues.
Diana Lee Inosanto
Admittedly, many fans and forums are already convinced that Dr. Kureha will be played by Diana Lee Inosanto — and there’s evidence to support this. In recent years, we’ve seen Inosanto portray Morgan Elsbeth in The Mandalorian and Ahsoka, but her name is most prominently associated with the 2008 film The Sensei, which she also directed. In addition to being an actress and director, she is a martial artist and stunt performer (evidence number one). As for the second part of the speculation regarding her playing Kureha, Inosanto recently followed Matt Owens and several One Piece accounts on Instagram. We’ll give it to the casting team — this is a strong choice.
Published: Jul 29, 2024 08:34 am