Tony Award winner Cole Escola has been cast as the fan-favorite character Bon Clay in season 3 of Netflix's live-action One Piece adaptation. The role marks the first major casting announcement for the upcoming season, which received an early renewal ahead of season 2's premiere. Escola will portray the non-binary theatrical assassin as a series regular.
Casting Announcement
Cole Escola, known for originating the lead role in the Broadway hit Oh Mary! and earning a Tony Award for it, joins the cast of One Piece season 3 as Bon Clay, also known as Bentham or Mr. 2 Bon Kurei. The character is a flamboyant, ballet-inspired figure who begins as a villain in Eiichiro Oda's manga before allying with protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his crew. Described as a master of performance who turns combat into art, Bon Clay is envisioned as non-binary in the series.
This exclusive casting news comes from Deadline, highlighting Escola's comedic background from shows like At Home with Amy Sedaris, where they shared a WGA Award, and upcoming projects including the A24 comedy Jonty opposite Jesse Plemons. Escola is repped by UTA, Rise Management, and Schreck Rose Dapello.
Season 3 Production Details
One Piece season 3 is set to resume production later in 2025 in Cape Town, South Africa, following the early renewal announced in August 2025. The series, produced by Tomorrow Studios in partnership with Shueisha and Netflix, follows Luffy (Iñaki Godoy) and his Straw Hat crew—including Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro, Emily Rudd as Nami, Jacob Romero as Usopp, and Taz Skylar as Sanji—in their quest for the legendary treasure. Ian Stokes and Joe Tracz serve as co-showrunners, writers, and executive producers for season 3, with executive producers including Oda, Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements, Tetsu Fujimura, Chris Symes, Christoph Schrewe, and Steven Maeda.
Series Background and Success
Season 1 of the live-action adaptation debuted in 2023, topping Netflix's Global Top 10 for eight weeks, reaching No. 1 in over 75 countries, and becoming the streamer's first English-language series to debut at No. 1 in Japan. It has garnered nearly 100 million views, is among Netflix's most downloaded shows, and received 11 nominations at the Children's & Family Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Young Teen Series. Season 2 is slated for premiere on March 10, 2026, with production having started in July 2024 in South Africa and first-look images released in August 2025.