With live-action adaptations like Avatar: The Last Airbender and One Piece paying tribute to their respective source material on Netflix, Lionsgate is aiming to get in on the action. A live-action iteration of Naruto is set to hit theaters from Lionsgate, as the studio has Spider-Man: Brand New Day director Destin Daniel Cretton helming the project. Earlier this year, rumors spread like wildfire that the search had begun for the members of Team 7, specifically the likes of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, but it appears as though the trio’s teacher, Kakashi Hatake, is all but cast.
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In a new report from The Hollywood Reporter, it has been revealed that actor Charles Melton is in “final talks” to take on the role of Kakashi in the upcoming Lionsgate adaptation. For those who might be unfamiliar with the actor, Melton played a starring role in Netflix’s Beef, while also having big roles in films including History of the World Part II, Warfare, and Her Private Hell. While Melton hasn’t been a part of the anime world, he does have experience with voice acting, as he recently took on a role in Amazon’s now-defunct comedy, Kevin. Considering Kakashi is reportedly around twenty-six years old at the start of the Naruto franchise, the character will seemingly be aged up should Melton get the role, as he is currently thirty-five.
Kakashi’s Role in Naruto
For those who might need a refresher on Konoha’s resident copycat ninja, Kakashi is one of the strongest ninjas that the Hidden Leaf has to offer. When first appearing in the Naruto franchise, he puts Team 7 through some rigorous training to get them ready to protect the ninja world. While Kakashi would eventually fall behind the likes of Naruto and Sasuke in the overall power department, he remains a major ace up Konoha’s sleeve. Following the conclusion of Naruto Shippuden, Kakashi would become the sixth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf, predating Naruto Uzumaki before he did the same.
Ironically enough, despite the masked ninja remaining one of the most popular warriors in the shonen franchise, Kakashi has been missing from the series for some time. In fact, the latest storyline, Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, hasn’t mentioned or shown the copycat once as Boruto Uzumaki struggles with this new world. This makes sense considering how the shonen sequel has been focusing on the next generation of ninjas, though Boruto could certainly use an assist from one of his previous teachers. As of the writing of this article, Kakashi’s current status remains unknown in both the manga and the anime, though fingers crossed that the upcoming live-action film might cause anime fans to rally behind the Sharingan-wielding hero’s return to Masashi Kishimoto’s series.
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