Matt Owens Co-Showrunner of Netflix’s Live Action ‘One Piece’ Steps Down

Picture: Matt Owens, the former co-showrunner of live-action One Piece

With fans excited for the upcoming release of the second season of Netflix’s live-action One Piece, some unexpected news emerged earlier in the week that Matt Owens, the co-showrunner of the series, has stepped away from the series for mental health reasons. Here’s what we know.

One Piece is Netflix’s incredibly ambitious live-action adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s beloved manga and pirate odyssey. Despite a wave of apprehension from manga and anime fans alike, the first season was received incredibly well and watched by millions of subscribers worldwide. This resulted in a well-deserved renewal for a second season, which wrapped up filming earlier this year. Matt Owens had been the co-showrunner, writer, and executive producer for the past six years, working with Steven Maeda, who stepped down as co-showrunner after the first season, and then Joe Tracz, who joined the series as co-showrunner for the second season.

Unexpectedly, Matt Owens has stepped down as co-showrunner and revealed the news on his personal Instagram page:

“The last 6 years working on the live action One Piece have been a life changing journey. A dream come true. It’s also been A LOT. So I’m stepping off the Going Merry to take a break and focus on myself and my mental health. Thank you so much to Oda, Shueisha, Tomorrow Studios, Netflix, and the entire cast and crew for your trust, partnership, and hard work. For now I’m gonna take a breath, do some therapy, try and rank up in Marvel Rivals, and come back refreshed for the new adventures that await. Thanks to everyone who has supported me. See you real soon!”

Picture: Matt Owens (left) working on the first season of One Piece with actress Emily Rudd (right) – Netflix

For the time being, Joe Tracz will take over all duties as showrunner of One Piece. It remains unclear if Tomorrow Studios will look for another co-showrunner, as the third season is expected to begin filming later this year. It’s also unclear if Matt Owens intends to return as co-showrunner of One Piece, as his words “come back refreshed for the new adventures that await” could be taken as him looking to work on something brand new.

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Do you think Matt Owens’s departure will impact the future of live-action One Piece on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!