There is a certain alchemy to creating a piece of entertainment that’s culturally iconic. It takes the right mix of music, aesthetic, writing and a sprinkle of cool mixed together in all the right ways then baked to perfection for the tv show equivalent of fresh baked bread. Cowboy Bebop was an anime that came out the proverbial oven that way: familiar, warm in some places and bittersweet after it was done. It’s a tale reminiscent of classic westerns but it takes place in the vast expanses of space. It also has a jazz sound track that would fit right perfectly at a classy New York cocktail lounge. If it sounds like the show mashes together a whole bunch of misfit parts and somehow makes it work, then that’s apt description of what it is like to watch.
For the more technically minded when it comes to plot, Cowboy Bebop is about a group of misfit bounty hunters aboard a space ship known as the Bebop. The show follows the crew’s exploits as they chase down dangerous criminals and in some instances come face-to-face with their sordid pasts.
The show is a couple of years past its 20th birthday and appears to be on the cusp of breaking out of its cult status now that Netflix decided to greenlight a live-action version of the anime. The new version does not have a release date yet, but those who worry about whether this version of Cowboy Bebop will nail the alchemy of the original are naturally worried about the cast.
Many of the key characters are in place, so it’s a good time to introduce the actors and who they are playing:
To go along with the Western analogy when describing Cowboy Bebop, Spike Spiegel would be the John Wayne or Clint Eastwood of this show with a splash of Sean Connery’s James Bond sprinkled in when it comes to personality and ability. His past is the darkest and perhaps the most complex when compared to other characters and eventually comes to define the anime. Whether John Cho, an accomplished and well known actor known for roles in Star Trek and Harold and Kumar, can channel that kind of cool and grittiness remains to be seen.
Spike Spiegel and Jet are partners and the two original bounty hunters aboard the Bebop. Where Spike is the rogueish main character, Jet is the steady former cop that left his station for tragic reasons and became a bounty hunter. Mustafa Shakir doesn’t have the Q-rating of John Cho, but if his performance as Bushmaster from the Netflix TV show Luke Cage is any indication then he his definitely the right person for this.
Faye Valentine is a contradiction, a femme fatale’ that hates feeling desired and is rarely seen romantically interested in anyone on the show. She looks 23-years old, but is actually 77 after a shuttle accident led to her being cryogenically frozen. Faye is also one of the first characters to join Spike and Jet aboard the Bebop. Daniella Pineda plays Faye on the show after making appearances in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and the Netflix movie Mercy Black.
The fact that Vicious is listed as a main character by Netflix is a strong hint at a possible direction that the Cowboy Bebop series may go. There is a close connection between Spike and Vicious that will likely be integral part of the plot of this adaptation. Hassell doesn’t have a whole lot of roles in Hollywood, but is a popular Shakespearian theater actor so it will be interesting to see if his role here becomes something that defines him.
Much like Vicious, the presence of Julia as a main character is a strong indicator of where Netflix wants to go with this, given that Julia and Vicious are involved in storyline that focuses on Spike’s past. Elena Satine, the actress who will play her is mostly known for minor roles in shows like Agents of Shield and Twin Peaks.
Some of the other announced cast members of this movie are Geoff Stults as Chalmers (Jet’s ex-partner,) Tamara Tunie as the Martian club owner Ana, Mason Alexander Park as Gren (Ana’s right hand person,) Rachel House as Mao (White Tigers Capo,) Ann Truong as Shin and Hoa Xuande as Lin (Shin and Lin are the twin henchmen of Vicious).
The revelation of these cast members and the characters they represent are once again strong indicators of plotlines from the show that may be explored. The presence of Mao along with Shin and Lin combined with Julia and Vicious practically guarantee that Spike’s past will be an integral part of the story. Chalmers being in the mix also points to a storyline that includes Jet.
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