Netflix Gives New Look at Joe Manganiello as Crocodile Ahead of ‘One Piece’ Season 3

Netflix’s live-action ‘One Piece‘ has managed something video game and anime adaptations rarely pull off, earning genuine goodwill from both longtime manga readers and newcomers alike. The first season debuted to an 86% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and the momentum has only continued building as the series has pushed deeper into Eiichiro Oda’s sprawling source material.

Season 2 took the Straw Hat Pirates through the Loguetown, Whiskey Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island arcs, introducing several new members of the shadowy organization Baroque Works along the way. True to the source material, the season’s central villain remained mostly in the shadows throughout, appearing only briefly and mysteriously as the enigmatic Mr. 0 until the season’s final moments.

That brief tease is about to become a full-fledged presence. Netflix has released new footage showing Joe Manganiello on set as Crocodile ahead of the show’s upcoming third season, officially subtitled “The Battle of Alabasta,” giving fans their clearest look yet at the character who’s set to anchor the series’ next major storyline.

Joe Manganiello aka Crocodile on the set of ONE PIECE: The Battle of Alabasta 🐊 pic.twitter.com/bucwfsM29a

— Netflix (@netflix) September 14, 2026

Crocodile, known within Baroque Works as Mr. 0, is a Warlord of the Sea whose sand-based Devil Fruit powers make him one of the franchise’s most visually distinctive villains. The season 2 finale revealed him speaking with Miss All Sunday, unmasking her true identity as Nico Robin and setting his so-called Operation Utopia into motion, a storyline that will now play out in full as the Straw Hats and Princess Vivi race to stop him from seizing control of Alabasta.

Manganiello, known for roles in ‘True Blood’ and as Deathstroke in Zack Snyder’s DC Universe, has been vocal about how much the role means to him personally. Speaking with Eva Carducci on Instagram after seeing some of his own footage as Crocodile, he called it about the coolest thing he thinks he’s ever done, comparing the tone of the franchise itself to a wild, half-remembered dream about pirates.

Behind the camera, the show’s creative team has described building out Crocodile’s world with a very deliberate visual language. Showrunner Joe Tracz told TheWrap that the character’s introduction in season two placed him inside a classic Bond lair, complete with an underwater view of fish swimming past his office window, along with hints of something considerably larger still waiting to be revealed once season three arrives.

That Bond-villain framing fits neatly with how the show has built anticipation for the character over more than a year of teases, first-look photos, and carefully worded interviews. Manganiello was confirmed for the role back in 2024, and the show’s creative team has maintained that he was the only actor ever considered for the part from the very beginning of casting discussions.

To those who hunger for adventure, Season 2 is serving a voyage worthy for the crew of the future King of the Pirates! 🍖🏴‍☠️ Gather yourselves and take a glimpse behind the scenes at the legendary journey ahead! 🌊😆 pic.twitter.com/ws4Odde9bB

— ONE PIECE(ワンピース) Netflix (@onepiecenetflix) September 17, 2025

With filming on season three well underway and Netflix now actively promoting Manganiello’s transformation into the character, “The Battle of Alabasta” looks set to deliver the long-awaited showdown between Crocodile and Luffy that fans of the manga have been anticipating since Crocodile’s brief season two cameo. Co-showrunner Tracz has previously described Luffy as a punch-first, ask-questions-later kind of hero, a dynamic that should collide dramatically with Crocodile’s more calculated, behind-the-scenes approach to villainy once the two finally meet in full.

The season also carries added significance for the wider Baroque Works storyline, since Crocodile’s unmasking of Nico Robin at the end of season two sets up one of the manga’s more emotionally charged character arcs. How the show chooses to balance that character-driven material against the larger action set pieces promised by Crocodile’s sand-based powers will likely shape how fans ultimately judge the season once it arrives.

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