The English dub for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle will be receiving some serious star power with an Avengers cast member. Variety confirms that Hollywood star Channing Tatum will join the dub cast for the film as Keizo, a major character in the manga with a deep connection with the backstory of the film’s villain, Akaza. Tatum will be joined by Rebecca Wang, who will be voicing Keizo’s daughter Koyuki. These are fantastical gets for Crunchyroll, especially since Keizo and Koyuki play relatively minor, yet vital, roles in the first Infinity Castle film.
Tatum is a veteran actor with over twenty years in the industry, best known for his high-profile performances in the Magic Mike and 21 Jump Street films. He also played the iconic X-Men hero Gambit in 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverinebecoming a scene-stealer in the movie. He has already been announced to reprise his role as Gambit for the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. He and Wang join Demon Slayer alongside the reprising dub actors from the series, including Zach Aguilar, Abby Trott, Aleks Le, Bryce Papenbrook, Johnny Yong Bosch, and Erika Harlacher. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle is scheduled to open in American theaters on September 12th.
Channing Tatum Joins Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle
Mitchel Berger, executive VP of global commerce for Crunchyroll, gave Variety a comment about the English dub cast, revealing that Tatum joined because he’s a fan of the anime series. Tatum reportedly watched the anime with his daughter, which is a heartwarming and sweet anecdote shared by Berger. While some fans may question how an anime series like Demon Slayer could afford Tatum, it should be noted that Crunchyroll is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, which has connections with various Hollywood agencies and studios. Demon Slayer is also one of the biggest Japanese anime currently airing, with the box office totals for Infinity Castle in Japan already breaking several records. Given Tatum’s supposed affinity for the property, it was likely a relatively easy negotiation between Crunchyroll and Tatum’s representatives.
Several major dub productions have featured celebrity voice work, most notably within the Studio Ghibli dubs. Famous English-speaking actors like Christian Bale, Kirsten Dunst, Dakota Fanning, Robert Pattinson, and Michael Keaton have lent their voices to Ghibli animated features. Samuel Jackson also infamously provided voice work for the Afro Samurai anime series on Adult Swim.
H/T: Variety
