Netflix's live-action Cowboy Bebop is one of the most highly-anticipated original series coming to the streaming platform in November 2021. Fans have already seen the full trailer and images for Netflix's upcoming adaptation of the genre-defying series, but they've lacked one major character from the original anime – Ed. The iconic bounty hunters of the Bebop: Spike Spiegel (John Cho), Jet Black(Mustafa Shakir), Faye Valentine (Danielle Pineda), and Ein the "data dog" corgi have all been shown extensively, but so far, the final member of their crew is nowhere to be seen. This could mean that Netflix's version of Ed will be significantly look different from the anime character, or Ed might be introduced in Season 2.
Thankfully, now we have an official update from Netflix.
In the anime series, Edward is an eccentric 13-year-old hacking prodigy who joins Spike and company. The character was first envisioned as a boy but was reimagined as a teenage girl in order to have a better gender balance aboard the Bebop ship. Ed has not been publicly cast, so fans are wondering if Netflix's adaptation will feature the hacker since it's hard to imagine the show without her.
It's likely that Ed is absent in the trailers and promotional images because she simply isn't in the show's first season. Since the character was the last person to join the Bebop crew in the anime series, and since the Netflix series is only ten episodes long, it's likely that the sequel is already being planned, and that Ed will likely show up in the final episode of Season 1 or being saved for Season 2.
Last September, Polygon asked showrunner André Nemec about Ed. "Ed - everybody wants to know about Ed," Nemec said. "People will be ... very delighted when they watch the season."
Update: On November 19, Netflix has finally revealed information about Ed's involvement, revealing that Ed Perkins has taken on the role of the hacker who joins the bounty hunting team, and it's likely that they will get a larger role if the series returns for a second season.
Related: Cowboy Bebop: Netflix Shares 3 New Character Posters For Its Live-Action Adaptation
Netflix's Cowboy Bebop is set to release on November 19, 2021. For more details about the series, check out everything you need to know about it here, and don't forget to follow our Netflix Rocks My World page on Facebook for the latest updates.
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