JuJutsu Kaisen Voice Actors Beg Hollywood: Don’t Replace Us With Celebrities — Demon Slayer Isn’t a Shortcut
The English dub cast of JuJutsu Kaisen raised concerns at New York Comic-Con that Hollywood might chase the box-office success of Demon Slayer by prioritizing big names over experienced dub actors. They argued that movie-sized returns are more likely when a film follows years of serialized storytelling, and they warned that studios could favor celebrities — and possibly AI — instead of the current voice-acting community.
- Why build-up matters for anime films
- What the JuJutsu Kaisen dub cast said
- Industry context and comparisons
- What this could mean going forward
Summary of the concern
At New York Comic-Con, the JuJutsu Kaisen English dub cast — Adam McArthur (Yuji), Robbie Daymond (Megumi Fushiguro), Anne Yatco (Nobara), Kaiji Tang (Gojo), and Kayleigh McKee (Yuta) — discussed how Demon Slayer’s massive box-office performance could change Hollywood’s approach to anime localization. They pointed out two concrete risks: studios may try to rush movie projects without the long-term audience build-up, and they may hire celebrities for name recognition instead of experienced dub actors.
Why build-up matters for anime films
According to the cast, big anime movie numbers usually follow a long period of serialized success. For example, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle earned over $600 million worldwide at the box office and outperformed a major Superman release. The JuJutsu Kaisen actors argued that most blockbusters are the result of years of TV seasons and previous films building a fanbase.
“Hollywood will try to look at this and be like, Oh, man, anime films, let’s go, right? But I think the true formula to an anime film’s success is you really need those build up seasons,” Kaiji Tang said. He added that audiences often view a theatrical entry as a reward for following a story over time.
What the JuJutsu Kaisen dub cast said
The cast expressed direct worries about casting trends and pay. Robbie Daymond said: “I personally am honored to be the last generation of boots on the ground voice actors doing anime,” a comment that drew laughter from his colleagues. He continued bluntly about the likely direction studios might take.
Kayleigh McKee pointed to pay and hiring practices: “They’re not gonna increase our pay,” she said, and warned studios would instead “just go get a celebrity.” In response, Kaiji Tang quipped, “Chris Pratt as Gojo?”
The discussion also mentioned a wider fear about technology and hiring: “Celebrities on the right, A.I. on the left,” McKee said, summarizing two parallel threats to traditional dub work.
Industry context and comparisons
The actors referenced familiar patterns from other entertainment sectors. For instance, long-running franchises and prior entries tend to drive movie ticket sales. Meanwhile, the gaming and film industries have seen established voice actors replaced by bigger-name performers, and some projects have used AI tools for audio work. These are observable trends that the cast used to frame their concerns.
What this could mean going forward
If studios prioritize recognizable names over experienced dub casts, the immediate effect could be more celebrity-led dubbing for theatrical anime. However, the actors emphasized that sustained box-office success usually depends on long-term audience investment, not only on star power. Therefore, the cast suggested that rushing into theatrical anime without a built-up fanbase may not reproduce Demon Slayer’s results.
In short, the JuJutsu Kaisen English dub cast asked studios to consider the value of seasoned dub actors and the role of serialized storytelling before changing hiring practices or business models.
