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Baroque Works is geared up to make a major impact in Netflix’s upcoming season of One Piece, though the major clash isn’t set to occur until the third season, and a cherished, fan-favorite member has recently been selected.

Netflix announced this week that Cole Escola will appear in the One Piece upcoming season’s lineup and will portray Bentham. The role possesses the power to morph into an identical duplicate of anyone they’ve laid a hand on with their dominant hand. Escola, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, will play a rendition of that figure reinterpreted as non-binary identifying, rather than as a drag artist, in the live-action show, as in the initial comic and anime.

Escola joins multiple recently announced actors tasked with bringing Baroque Works to the screen, including leader Sir Crocodile, portrayed by Joe Manganiello, a talented actress as another operative, and Sendhil Ramamurthy, who also joins the lineup as the ruler of the desert kingdom.

Even though the role is a key figure of the organization, the persona won’t make their debut One Piece the third season. With season 2 set to cover the Little Garden segment, this marks a major departure in the schedule of the character’s debut, one that could suggest further changes to the story’s structure.

Escola’s blend of precise humor and profound feeling makes them a standout choice for the part. In addition to their latest vocal work in the animated coming-of-age film Boys Go to Jupiter, they garnered significant recognition and numerous honors for writing and starring in the popular theatrical show Oh Mary!, emphasizing the range they’ll contribute to one of One Piece’s highly regarded roles.

The platform’s adapted One Piece show is due to premiere for its second season on March 10, 2026.