Cowboy Bebop is hailed as one of the greatest anime series of our time. Its balance of action, western-themes, noir, and humor, combined with jazzy tunes made it an instant cult favorite. We’ve heard reports that it could live again in the form of a live-action series. That recently came true when Netflix announced they would be behind the new live-action series with André Nemec, Josh Appelbaum, Jeff Pinkner, and Scott Rosenberg of Midnight Radio acting as show runners and executive producers. Shinichirō Watanabe, who created the anime series, will be acting as a consultant on the show.

And now Netflix has confirmed that John Cho, Mustafa Shakir, Daniella Pineda, and Alex Hassell have been cast in the Cowboy Bebop series. More on the report below.

Here are the character details via Deadline:

Cho (Star Trek, Harold & Kumar, Searching) will play Spike Spiegel, who is described as “an impossibly cool “cowboy” (bounty hunter) with a deadly smile, a wry wit and style to spare. He travels the solar system with his ex-cop partner pursuing the future’s most dangerous bounties with a combination of charm, charisma and deadly Jeet Kune Do.”

Shakir (Netflix’s Luke Cage, The Deuce) is Jet Black, described as “one of the few honest cops in the solar system before an ultimate betrayal robbed him of all that he loved, forcing him into a vagabond life of hunting bounties to put food on the table. Jet is an inveterate jazz enthusiast, Spike’s partner and captain of the Bebop.”

Pineda (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, The Detour) will play Faye Valentine, who’s described as “a bold, brash and unpredictable bounty hunter. Suffering from amnesia after years of being cryogenically frozen, Faye does whatever it takes to survive “” whether she’s lying, stealing or just being a thorn in Spike and Jet’s side.”

Hassell (The Boys, Suburbicon) will play Vicious, “a man who thoroughly enjoys a good kill, He is the Syndicate’s most notorious hitman and also Spike’s ex-partner and archenemy.”

At first, it looked like Netflix would be simply trying to cash in on the popularity of the iconic anime by simply announcing they would release a live-action version of it. So it all hinged on the casting. Luckily, they followed through with a surprising cast. Particularly Cho, who just has the natural charm and charisma to pull off Spike’s easy come and easy go personality.

Shakir will have a lot to live up to as well. Jet Black has always had this distinct rugged voice to him. So it will be interesting to see what the actor can bring to not only give him life but make him his own as well. As do Pineda and Hassell, who play characters who are fantastic, intriguing, sharply funny, and dangerous.

Alex Garcia Lopez (Daredevil and The Punisher) will direct the first two episodes of Cowboy Bebop. The ten-episode series has yet to announce a release date.

[Source: Deadline]