Who knew Magic Mike would someday voice in one of the biggest anime movies of all time?
Ahead of its American premiere on 12 September, Crunchyroll has announced that the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba cast are reprising their roles for the first entry to the Demon Slayer trilogy of movies, starting off with “Akaza’s Return”.
However, what caught fans' attention were the new cast members joining “Akaza’s Return”, particularly with the role of Keizo, Akaza’s father-in-law, being taken on by Channing Tatum himself, while the role of Koyuki, Akaza’s wife, is voiced by Rebecca Wang, who is also known for voicing Sung Jinah in Solo Leveling.
Yep, you read that right. The actor, known for his illustrious career in Hollywood as Mike in Magic Mike, Greg Jenko in 21 Jump Street, and Remy LeBeau (Gambit) in Deadpool & Wolverine, is making his debut in anime voice acting through one of the most highest-earning Japanese films of all time.
It’s no secret that Channing Tatum is a fan of the Demon Slayer franchise thanks to his daughter, Everly. Just last year he was seen attending the New York premiere of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Hashira Training- compilation movie world tour with Everly. He wore a Tanjiro Kamado-themed hoodie, while Everly was in full Shinobu Kocho cosplay.
In a statement given through Variety, the executive VP of global commerce of Crunchyroll expressed his excitement over Channing Tatum joining the cast:
We are thrilled to welcome back the beloved English voice cast reprising their roles for ‘Infinity Castle’. Their iconic voices have greatly contributed to the admiration of the characters and popularity of the franchise. And, we are excited to welcome Channing Tatum, who discovered his love of ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba’ and anime through watching the series with his daughter, along with Rebecca Wang as the English voices of Keizo and Koyuki.
English cast to reprise their roles for the trilogy
The English voice actors for past Demon Slayer entries are also returning to reprise their roles for the trilogy:
- Zach Aguilar as Tanjiro Kamado
- Abby Trott as Nezuko Kamado
- Aleks Le as Zenitsu Agatsuma
- Bryce Papenbrook as Inosuke Hashibara
- Brianna Knickerbocker as Kanao Tsuyuri
- Zeno Robinson as Genya Shinazugawa
- Johnny Yong Bosch as Giyu Tomioka
- Ray Chase as Tengen Uzui
- Griffin Burns as Muichiro Tokito
- Erika Harlacher as Shinobu Kocho
- Kira Buckland as Mitsuri Kanroji
- Erik Scott Kimerer as Obanai Iguro
- Kaiki Tang as Sanemi Shinazugawa
- Crispin Freeman as Gyomei Himejima
- Lucien Dodge as Akaza
The Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba anime is directed by Haruo Sotozaki under Studio Ufotable. Akira Matsushima is the character designer and chief animation director. Yuki Kajiura and Go Shiina compose the music for the series. Sony Pictures Entertainment and Crunchyroll have the rights to screen the three upcoming movies globally.
