One Piece co-showrunner Matt Owens has officially announced his departure from the production of Netflix’s live-action adaptation. The news broke on March 21st, 2025 when Owens released an Instagram post dropping the announcement in which he confirmed that he will not be returning as showrunner for the upcoming seasons of the hit series. His departure comes just months after Netflix confirmed Season 2 is in development following the overwhelming success of Season 1.
What is One Piece?
One Piece is a beloved manga and anime series created by Eiichiro Oda, known for its expansive world-building, rich characters, and emotional storytelling. It follows the journey of Monkey D. Luffy, a rubber-powered pirate with dreams of becoming the King of the Pirates, as he builds his crew and searches for the legendary treasure known as the “One Piece.” The Netflix live-action adaptation premiered in 2023 and quickly gained praise from fans and newcomers alike for its faithful tone, strong cast, and dynamic visuals. Owens, alongside co-showrunner Steven Maeda, played a key role in bringing Oda’s world to life for a global audience.
Reason for Departure
In his statement, Owens explained his main reason for stepping down is to focus on himself and his mental health. This is understandable considering the production of One Piece involved lengthy, grueling shoots in South Africa followed by complex, visual effect-heavy post-production. During a 2023 interview with Deadline, Owens explained that his passion for wanting to be part of the live-action production comes from his time reading the One Piece manga and how that helped him through mental struggles he was facing decades ago. It was that passion and dedication that helped him power through production of season one and two leading up to a well-deserved break.
What Comes Next?
Matt Owens was a writer on a pair of Marvel series, Agents of SHIELD at ABC and Luke Cage at Netflix before the One Piece live-action project started. Owens has been a part of the production of this live-action adaptation since the beginning. He helped to develop a long-term plan for adaptation and served as a showrunner and executive producer for both seasons one and two. With Owens stepping down Joe Tracz was brought in to take up the position as co-showrunner along with Steven Maeda, who remains as part of the project.
Owens’ departure marks the end of a pivotal chapter in the live-action One Piece journey, but the series remains in strong hands moving forward. As Netflix gears up for Season 2, fans can expect the Straw Hat crew’s adventures to continue with the same heart and excitement that captured audiences in the first season. One Piece season two hasn’t been given a specific release date yet, but it was confirmed by Netflix that season two will premiere sometime in 2025 or early 2026.