In April 2020, Colombia Pictures announced a live-action movie adaptation of the famous manga One Punch Man. However, there are concerns about how well the One Punch Man live-action movie will approach the source material, as many anime adaptations often fail to capture the spirit of the originals. Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner, who previously worked on the Jumanji films and Venom, originally signed on as writers, with Marvel Studios’ founder Avi Arad set to produce. In 2022, Justin Lin, most notably known for his work in The Fast and Furious franchise, was revealed as the One Punch Man movie’s director.
However, a recent One Punch Man movie update reported that Dan Harmon (Community, Rick and Morty) had been hired to rewrite the script, alongside Heather Anne Campbell. Not much is currently known about the One Punch Man movie, but its current rewrites suggest a new approach to the film’s original premise. Furthermore, while there are many fancasts, the cast for the One Punch Man live-action movie has not yet been revealed. With so much left to speculation, it is understandable that fans are anxious to see if the movie will truly embrace the tone of One Punch Man’s bizarre anime.
One Punch Man Live-Action Movie Must Embrace How Silly The Anime Is
Saitama’s Reactions Provide A Lot Of Comedy
It appears likely that One Punch Man’s live-action movie will follow other superhero parody shows in recent years by leaning into the anime’s comedic tone. Set in a supercontinent version of Earth, One Punch Man depicts the extremely overpowered superhero Saitama as a hilariously unbothered character. Saitama’s deadpan reactions and unenthusiastic demeanor due to his lack of physical challenge are paramount to the show’s comedy, and it is a really important thing for the live-action movie to embrace. But this goes beyond just Saitama himself, as there are plenty of silly elements in One Punch Man.
The anime contains many personalities that are often bizarre, but the character designs in One Punch Man also allow for a lot of physical comedy. Heroes such as Pineapple and Puri-Puri Prisoner have fantastically outlandish looks which contrast with the plain attire of others like Mumen Rider. There is a concern about how One Punch Man’s visuals will translate into live-action, as many anime adaptations struggle with portraying physics-defying outfits and movements. Regardless, the One Punch Man live-action movie must try to keep its bizarre comedy and silly moments, as it is one of the basic features of the anime.
One Punch Man Must Still Take Itself Seriously (Despite How Silly It Looks)
One Punch Man Shouldn't Be A Parody
Although the anime’s premise is bizarre, the One Punch Man live-action movie should still aim to take the story seriously. One Punch Man is one of the strongest anime characters, and the series does somewhat make fun of the superhero genre with things like Saitama declaring his move of “consecutive normal punches,” but the movie shouldn’t aim to be a parody. By treating the anime’s storyline seriously, it would be great to see the One Punch Man movie having fun with the source material, not making fun of it or questioning its logic, the way that some other adaptations have done.
large-scale action scenes will provide the opportunity for Saitama to deliver his usual comedic viewpoints
Saitama is an incredibly powerful character and the anime centers around the action-packed life of being a superhero, so the One Punch Man live-action movie should lean into its large-scale action sequences and treat them with the same seriousness shown in the anime. As stated by the anime series creator ONE, the one thing that sets Saitama apart in One Punch Man isn’t his strength, it is his personality and perspective. Therefore, the large-scale action scenes will provide the opportunity for Saitama to deliver his usual comedic viewpoints and reactions as he deals with the villain in his own way.
Few Live-Action Anime Adaptations Have Managed To Embrace Their Source Material
One Piece Shows Live-Action Anime Can Be Done
One of the biggest concerns about the One Punch Man movie is that few live-action anime adaptations have remained faithful to their source material. Whether as a result of Westernization or physical limitations, live-action anime adaptations have fallen short. Original One Punch Man writer, Jeff Pinkner’s 2021 live-action Cowboy Bebop television series was an example of this, as it was criticized on everything but its cast. With Dan Harmon rewriting the script, there is hope that One Punch Man will maintain its original tone, as Harmon is experienced with the bizarre comedy of Rick and Morty.
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No one wants One Punch Man’s live-action movie to be worse than Dragonball Evolution, which was a commercial and critical failure. However, CGI has come a long way and anime’s popularity has risen in recent years, meaning live-action can match anime physics and there is more passion for the medium. For example, One Piece had a surprisingly successful Hollywood adaptation, with season 1 scoring an 86% Tomatometer and 95% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes. As a result, the main risk with One Punch Man’s live-action movie is in a good position to live up to the source material if done right.
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Saitama, a superhero from City Z, faces an existential crisis as he can defeat any opponent with a single punch, leading to a lack of challenge and sheer boredom. His quest for a worthy opponent leads him to meet new friends and enemies and join the Hero Association to gain official recognition while accidentally (and secretly) solving all of the world's problems with a single punch.
Release Date October 5, 2015
Cast Makoto Furukawa , Kaito Ishikawa , Max Mittelman , Zach Aguilar , Hiromichi Tezuka , Robbie Daymond , Kyle Hebert , Shôta Yamamoto
Creator(s) ONE
Seasons 2
English (US) ·