Eagle-eyed One Piece fans have spotted Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi sporting a blurred-out Luffy jumper in a behind-the-scenes video. As it’s part of promotion for a Disney Marvel film, they are probably legal issues that prevent the shirt from being seen clearly, but anime fans immediately knew the score. They would recognise that big smile anywhere.
It makes sense that Waititi would have a lot of love for Luffy, the aspiring Pirate King, as he plays Blackbeard in the hit HBO Max series Our Flag Means Death. Twitter user Mike Mamon shared the image, which is frankly full of chaotic details. It looks as though Waititi is giving the middle finger to the camera, which is also blurred out.
In the background – you can see crewmembers wearing masks and part of the giant screen known as The Wall which provides digital backdrops during filming. And crouched on the floor, is Christian Bale in full make-up and costume as the God butcher Gorr. Waititi confirmed on Twitter (as he needed to) that it is Luffy on his fetching blue sweater.
One Piece is widely considered one of the best anime series of all time. It follows Luffy and his crew The Straw Hats, as they sail the seven seas. Over the years, they have met bulky Warlords, Fish-Men, clown pirates, and an array of powerful fruit mutant warriors. Like Avatar: The Last Airbender, One Piece is also becoming a live-action series on Netflix.
You can see the tweet below that contains the image of Waititi sporting the One Piece clothing;
Yooo is @TaikaWaititi a One Piece fan??? That’s totally Luffy blurred 🙂 pic.twitter.com/ZcY7Gum6cu
— Mike Mamon (@xPmnms) June 21, 2022
If you’re a lover of all things One Piece, check out our guide to where to watch the best anime.