Melton has become an increasingly prominent name in Hollywood following his breakout dramatic performance in May December. More recently, he appeared in Warfare and earned an Emmy nomination for the second season of Netflix's Beef. If negotiations are completed, Kakashi would give Melton one of the most recognizable characters of his career.
🥷 Kakashi Is a Huge Role to Get Right
For longtime Naruto fans, Kakashi is far more than a supporting character. He serves as the leader of Team 7, training Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura during the earliest stages of their careers as shinobi.
His laid back personality hides an exceptionally skilled fighter with a complicated past, and his story eventually becomes deeply connected to several of the manga's biggest events.
That makes the casting particularly important. Kakashi needs someone capable of balancing humor, calm confidence, emotional weight, and intense action.
🌎 Team 7 Casting Is Already Underway
The Melton news arrives shortly after Lionsgate officially began a worldwide casting search for Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.
Director Destin Daniel Cretton said the goal is to find the actors capable of bringing Masashi Kishimoto's characters to the big screen while respecting what has made the series resonate with generations of fans. Lionsgate previously confirmed that casting for additional characters would follow the Team 7 search.
Melton potentially landing Kakashi suggests that process is already moving quickly behind the scenes.
🎥 A Major Anime Adaptation for Lionsgate
Cretton, known for Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Spider Man: Brand New Day, is both writing and directing the adaptation.
Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto has publicly supported Cretton's involvement, saying he believes the filmmaker is an ideal choice to bring the story into live action. The manga has more than 250 million copies in circulation across over 60 countries and territories, giving Lionsgate one of the largest anime properties ever attempted by Hollywood.
There is still no official release date.
Most importantly, Melton's casting is not finalized yet. He is currently reported to be in final negotiations, so Lionsgate has not formally announced him as Kakashi.
If the deal closes, however, the live action Naruto movie will have secured its first major piece of the Hidden Leaf Village.
