Titans Star Ryan Potter Becomes One Piece's Ace In Incredible Concept Design
Ryan Potter has set his sails for the Four Blues — or, at least, he wants to. In December 2023, the "Titans" star publicly expressed his interest in portraying Portgas D. Ace in Netflix's live-action adaptation of "One Piece." As an important figure in Captain Monkey D. Luffy's (Iñaki Godoy) life, Ace is a character who could change everything in Season 2. Creator Eiichiro Oda himself announced Netflix's decision to renew the series in September 2023, so it's less a matter of "if" Ace will ever show up and more a matter of "when."
On Instagram, Potter shared his long-cherished personal connection to the anime, saying, "This manga, anime, and cultural phenomenon has served as a touchstone and bridge for me, connecting me back to the earliest memories I hold dear. I'm throwing my hat in the ring. As they say, 'closed mouths don't get fed.' Tim Drake was the dress rehearsal, Gar was my '10,000 hours,' Ace is what I've set my sights on next. Feels right, seeing as I stopped watching regularly after Ace's early demise."
Along with his heartfelt words, Potter shared an image created by digital artist BossLogic that depicts himself as Ace, wrapped in the flames of the Mera Mera no Mi devil fruit. Ignoring the fact that there's no guarantee that Ace will even appear in Season 2, let alone appear as portrayed by Potter, BossLogic's artwork is striking. The digital artist is phenomenal at his job, and maybe Potter will be phenomenal in the role ... if it hasn't already been cast, that is.
Rumor has it that Portgas D. Ace is already cast ... and it isn't Ryan Potter
As we pointed out, there's no guarantee that Portgas D. Ace will even appear in Season 2 of Netflix's "One Piece," but a lack of concrete information has never stopped the rumor mill before. In a potentially unfortunate fact for the "Titans" star, should one particular bit of gossip prove true, then Ryan Potter's chance to land the role vanished long before he ever posted his public plea.
In September 2023, sites like Comicbook.com reported on a whisper that Emery Kelley — best known for appearing in Disney's "Big Shot" and Skipstone Picture's "Max Winslow and the House of Secrets" — was lined up to play Luffy's foster brother. The rumor reasons that Kelly's temporary usage of Ace as a social media profile picture, along with Iñaki Godoy and "One Piece" producer Matt Owens following the young musician on Instagram, is proof that something is going on.
There's no denying that Kelly has the look. But so does Potter. When the rumor surrounding Kelly's potential casting first hit online spaces, FandomWire posted a ranked article placing the two talents as the first and second best options, respectively, for Netflix's Ace. While that means that certain sections of the internet are placing their money on Kelly, it also means that other fans believed in Potter's potential before he posted his interest. Looking at BossLogic's artwork, it's hard to blame them. And who knows? By Eiichiro Oda's own admission, "One Piece" Season 2 is still in the early stages of development, and no new cast members have been announced, not unless Tony Tony Chopper counts. Maybe Potter still has a chance to hit the high seas.