The Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan's Island movie will feature the return of Char Aznable.
The official Twitter account for the movie confirmed that the charismatic Red Comet would make an appearance in the new film. New art of the fan-favorite Zeon ace and his customized bright red Zaku II were also released. The announcement also confirms that Shuichi Ikeda, who has been voicing Char for over 40 years, will once again reprise the role. The movie will reunite Ikeda with voice actor Toru Furuya, who has provided the voice of Amuro ever since the series' original debut and will also return for the new movie.
The news came as a surprise to some Gundam fans, as the new movie is a feature-length remake of an episode from the original 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam anime, in which Char notably did not appear. The announcement does not offer any details about how Char will be integrated into the story, so it is unclear at this point if he will simply appear as a cameo, in a flashback, or if fans will be treated to a new mobile suit duel between him and his rival, Amuro Ray.
Char will not be the only major addition to the story, as an earlier trailer for the film revealed that the movie will flesh out the backstory of the Zeon deserter Cucuruz Doan and will introduce several new characters in the form of the Southern Cross Squadron, an elite team of Zaku pilots. The squad will be voiced by an all-star lineup of anime voice acting veterans, including Yuu Hayashi (Manjiro "Mikey" Sano in Tokyo Revengers), Shizuka Itou (Sailor Venus in Sailor Moon Crystal) and Koji Yusa (Shadow the Hedgehog in Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog video game series).
Cucuruz Doan's Island takes place in the days following the bloody battle at Jaburo. As the Zeon forces retreat, White Base is sent out to mop up any stragglers that were left behind. Their search brings them to a supposedly deserted island, where Amuro meets a group of war orphans and Cucuruz Doan, a former ace Zaku pilot who deserted his post after becoming disillusioned with the war. The peace is shattered, however, after Amuro gets separated from his Gundam and Doan's former squadmates drag the peace-seeking veteran and his new family back into the chaos of the One-Year War.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan's Island is scheduled to premiere in Japan on June 3. Details about the movie's international release have yet to be announced.