“I was excited as the fans”: Despite Mediocre Response, One Piece Fame Mackenyu Wants to See Knights of the Zodiac Get a Sequel
Ava White
Updated on April 03, 2026
Mackenyu has gained worldwide fame as Roronoa Zoro in Netflix’s One Piece Live Action. But other than One Piece, he would love to star in the sequel to Knights of the Zodiac. Mackenyu has done several anime live adaptations in his career, with One Piece being the latest. But before that, earlier in 2023, Mackenyu starred in Knights of the Zodiac.
Knights of the Zodiac was produced by Sony Pictures and based on the Saint Seiya manga by Masami Kurumada. Mackenyu took up the role of Seiya. Even though the film was not as huge a success as people initially thought it would be, he would still love to work on the sequel to Knights of the Zodiac. He was quite open with his answer when questioned about it.
Mackenyu Would Love To See Knights of the Zodiac Sequel
Mackenyu has given several interviews for his role in One Piece live-action. Whenever he is asked how much he loves anime, he always has one answer. He always said that he was Japanese, so he was born into anime and manga. There is no way that he won’t love anime. His love for anime is clearly mentioned when he wanted a Knights of the Zodiac sequel, even though it bombed at the box office.
When asked about the director Tomasz Bagiński, Mackenyu said to Movie Web,
“Bringing to life this new version, the most important part was to not lose the soul of Saint Seiya and what the fans like. I was excited as the fans, so, if there are sequels, I’m down. But this film is not just for the fans. It’s also a big deal for Japan, and to be able to represent the Japanese American community is an amazing opportunity for me. One of my goals is to open up those barriers in Japan, so that actors in Japan can come out to Hollywood. And I think this project would be a big first step to that future.”
It can be well understood that, in addition to praising the director, he also revealed his wish for the sequel. Knights of the Zodiac failed at the box office with its new techniques, but Mackenyu still wants a sequel since it is an anime live adaptation.
More on Knights of the Zodiac
Knights of the Zodiac was released on April 28, 2023, in Japan. With a talented cast of Mackenyu, Madison Iseman, Sean Bean, Famke Janssen, Nick Stahl, etc., the director, Tomasz Bagiński, wanted to create a masterpiece. Josh Campbell, Matt Stuecken, and Kiel Murray developed the story. Knight of the Zodiac is packed with special effects, great fight scenes, an emotional rollercoaster, and a great story.
Masami Kurumada’s Saint Seiya provided everything for Sony Pictures to produce one of the biggest movies of the year, yet they failed. Mackenyu would love a sequel, but Sony Pictures would definitely love the idea. Moreover, he already has a new anime adaptation project, Netflix’s One Piece Live Action. The show has been a hit and has also been renewed for a second season.
