Netflix is bringing the acclaimed anime Cowboy Bebop to the streaming service with a live-action adaptation, and the first looks at the series and the main characters have already gotten fans talking. The assembled cast of Cowboy Bebop includes quite a few familiar faces, though some fans may be wondering where they recognize the main characters from.
While there are a lot of unique characters fans are looking to see adapted to live-action, the series is built on episodic appearances which only leaves a few main characters. As favorite characters like Radical Ed have yet to be introduced to Netflix's live-action series, we are going to take a focused look at the familiar actors behind the main characters of Cowboy Bebop.
5 SPIKE SPIEGEL: John Cho May Be Best Known For His Roles In Star Trek And The Harold & Kumar Franchise
The lead bounty hunter in Cowboy Bebop is Spike Spiegel, a well-trained former gangster with the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate who faked his death and started a new life aboard the Bebop fishing trawler/spaceship. He pilots his own ship called the Swordfish II and is an expert in Jeet Kune Do, which has made him a well-known and dangerous bounty hunter.
John Cho was cast as Spike Spiegel and has appeared to nail the role while making it his own in the few short teases and trailers released for the live-action adaptation. Cho's comedic background includes his role alongside Kal Penn as Harold Lee in the Harold & Kumar trilogy, though most fans might recognize him as Ensign Hikaru Sulu from the rebooted Star Trek trilogy. Cho has also headlined horror thrillers like 2018's Searching and starred in quite a few TV series like Selfie, Sleepy Hollow, Flashforward, and Kitchen Confidential.
4 JET BLACK: Mustafa Shakir Wowed Audiences In Quarry, Luke Cage, The Deuce, Jett, And Brawl In Cell Block 99
The captain of the Bebop is Jet Black, a former investigator in the ISSP (Inter-Solar System Police) whose stubborn drive and reputation have earned him the name of "Black Dog." He decided to leave the ISSP after he lost his arm during a case that saw him betrayed by his own partner. Jet decided on a mechanical replacement for his arm to serve as a reminder and started his new life as a bounty hunter.
Mustafa Shakir will be bringing Jet Black to life in Netflix's live-action Cowboy Bebop series, and he has already proven he has the look and attitude down thanks to the Lost Session short that was released to tease the series. Shakir has starred in quite a few TV projects like Quarry, Jett, and The Deuce where he plays Big Mike, and movies like Pretenders and Brawl in Cell Block 99. However, he might be most recognizable to comic fans from his role on the second season of Luke Cage in the powerfully villainous role of John McIver/Bushmaster.
3 FAYE VALENTINE: Daniella Pineda Starred In The Originals, The Detour, And The Jurassic World Franchise
The crew of the Bebop welcomed a new bounty hunter named Faye Valentine, though they didn't know much about her initially. That's because Faye herself didn't know much about herself, though her mountains of debt forced her into the bounty hunting business. There, she eventually discovered that she was from an earlier century and had been cryogenically frozen for years which impacted her memory.
Daniella Pineda was cast as Faye Valentine for the series and received a modern update that divided some fans despite making a lot of sense for the character. Pineda appeared on a few TV shows before her role as Sophie Devereaux on The Vampire Diaries led to her starring in the spin-off series The Originals. She also appeared on series like American Odyssey, What/If, and The Detour. One of her biggest roles on the big screen is Jurassic World's Zia Rodriguez, who makes her debut in Fallen Kingdom before returning for the upcoming Dominion.
2 VICIOUS: Alex Hassell Starred In Two Down, The Red Sea Diving Resort, And Played Translucent On The Boys
The main rival of Spike Spiegel in Cowboy Bebop is a man known only as Vicious, who came up with Spike in the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate before he attempted to take over the criminal organization. Vicious and his traumatic relationship with Spike is sure to be one of the main arcs of the live-action Cowboy Bebop as Vicious is slated to appear in every episode.
Alex Hassell is cast as the katana-wielding Vicious and has briefly appeared in a couple of teasers that have showcased his original look from the anime. Hassell got his start on shows like Queen of Swords, Bonkers, and Legend of the Seeker before moving to the big screen with projects like Two Down, Suburbicon, and The Red Sea Diving Resort. However, his most familiar role to comic fans is likely as the ill-fated Translucent from the first season of The Boys on Amazon Prime Video.
1 JULIA: Elena Satine Has Starred In Quite A Few TV Series Including Smallville, The Gifted, And Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.
The friendship between Spike and Vicious turned deadly due to the rift that formed over a woman known only as Julia, who also worked with the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate. She helped nurse Spike back to health and inspired him to leave the Syndicate under the penalty of death, which made her a target when Vicious later took over the Syndicate.
Elena Satine will be portraying the role of Julia in Netflix's Cowboy Bebop adaptation, though she has only been teased slightly in the opening intro that was released to hype up the new series. Satine has a long career in movies and television that might make her familiar to fans of all kinds. She appeared as Mera in Smallville and starred in series like Revenge and Magic City before appearing in movies like A Beautiful Now and Payback. However, her most recognized roles might be as mutant Dreamer in Fox's The Gifted or as the Asgardian Lorelei on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.