DC and Cobra Kai star joins the cast of One Piece season 3 and, boy, did they get this one right

Blue Beetle star Xolo Maridueña has been cast in a crucial role in One Piece season 3 (per Deadline). In addition to starring as Jaime Reyes in the 2023 DC movie, Maridueña is also known for his role as Miguel Diaz in Karate Kid spin-off show Cobra Kai.

Maridueña will portray Portgas D. Ace, the beloved blood brother of One Piece's main character Monkey D. Luffy. Their relationship is at the center of one of the most formative - and gut-wrenching - stories in the entire run of One Piece.

Luffy (Iñaki Godoy) is a pirate captain who assembles an eccentric crew in his quest to find the fabled One Piece, a treasure that will crown its bearer as the pirate king.

Xolo Maridueña's turn as Jaime Reyes in Blue Beetle is one of my personal favorite DC performances in a highly underrated movie. He's got the perfect energy to make audiences fall in love with him as Ace and Luffy come together to find their shared destiny.

Without spoiling where things end up, it's perhaps the One Piece story most deserving of a faithful adaptation in live action, as Luffy's relationship with Ace proves to be a transformative event in Luffy's life.

One Piece season 2 is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on March 10, 2026. No release date for season 3 has been set. While we wait, fill out your watchlist with our picks of the other best Netflix shows streaming now.