Cowboy Bebop's live-action cast looks to be staying very faithful to the legendary anime, as confirmed by the first unveiling of the Netflix series. Often accredited as the greatest influence in introducing anime to Western audiences, the sci-fi neo-noir series still holds immense sway in today's pop culture. Originally running for 26 episodes, Cowboy Bebop follows a group of mismatched bounty hunters who chase criminals across the galaxy some 50 years in the future.
The live-action adaptation has had no lack of anticipation building, with the series in production since 2017. Unforeseeable delays halted the Netflix series' advance several times in 2019, with a COVID-19 shutdown accompanied by a nasty injury to lead man, John Cho, which ruled him out of filming for 9 months. Despite this, Cowboy Bebop wrapped in March 2021, with a streaming release date finally confirmed for November 19th the same year.
Netflix has promised to stay true to the original, iconic anime that allowed Western audiences a window into the genre. Original composer Yoko Kanno will return, while Sunrise Inc., the original producer of the anime, is also on board, ensuring character contingency. Shinichirō Watanabe is attached as a creative consultant, heightening expectations that Netflix's fall 2021 release of Cowboy Bebop can replicate the magic of the animated series. Here's a look at each revealed character in the Netflix adaptation so far and their live-action counterparts.
Spike Spiegel
The iconic bounty hunter Spike will be played by John Cho, whose transformation for the role is striking. One of the released images from Netflix shows Cho's new physique in what looks like a training scene, while he has also grown out his hair to match the lethargic, legendary cowboy. Full marks also go to wardrobe here, with Cho's blue suit and disheveled tie-shirt combination looking identical to Spike's outfit in the initial episode that introduced him. However, one big change from the anime character is Cho's lack of green hair, part of Watanabe's core design concepts for Spike's character from Cowboy Bebop's release to the finale.
Jet Black
Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop has made one change to Jet Black, casting a Black actor in the role, and Mustafa Shakir looks absolutely perfect, capturing the same design and spirit of the anime character. Makeup has done an excellent job of replicating Jet's vertical facial scar that runs down his right brow, although the protruding metal plate below it seems to have been placed under the skin rather than sitting on his cheekbone as in the original series. Jet's metal arm also appears true to the original anime, with its chrome sheen contrasting the rest of his clothing. Physically, Shakir looks perfect casting here, with his bulky frame mirroring Black's own intimidating physique. Once again, wardrobe also looks to have done their Cowboy Bebop research, with Black's tonally muted, functional outfits foiling Spike's sharper outfit looks in the released images. Jet Black's Cowboy Bebop origin story has since been explained, along with his loss of limb, meaning his physical features had less room for artistic license than the other revealed Bebop characters.
Faye Valentine
Amnesiac con artist Faye Valentine captivated audiences upon Cowboy Bebop's release in 2000, and her live-action counterpart looks to be no different. Played in the Netflix adaptation by Daniella Pineda, it looks like the production team has again gone to great pains to ensure continuity between the original and the remake. Faye's most iconic outfit is on display in the Netflix previews, most importantly featuring the yellow shirt that she wears across the entirety of 2071 (when Cowboy Bebop takes place). Pineda's hair is also streaked with purple, getting the shade of Faye Valentine's hair correct. However, her red shawl that was so prominent in the anime has been replaced by a burgundy leather jacket, which some may regard a strange choice considering the attention to detail on Spike's outfitting. Pineda does also appear slightly different to Faye facially, but provided she can capture her personality, she will still no doubt make for an excellent portrayal of Faye Valentine.