Charles Melton Reportedly Cast as Kakashi in Live-Action Naruto Movie

Following rumors linking him to Hank McCoy, also known as Beast, in Marvel Studios’ upcoming X-Men reboot, Charles Melton is in talks for a different adaptation. The Hollywood Reporter reports that Melton is in final negotiations to join the live-action Naruto film directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, who recently directed Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Melton is being eyed to play Kakashi Hatake, the mentor to Team 7 ninjas Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno. While Kakashi initially appears aloof and reads adult novels, he stands among the most capable ninjas in the Hidden Leaf Village and wields powerful techniques such as his signature Chidori attack.

Melton gained early attention on The CW series Riverdale before earning critical acclaim in May December, Warfare, and the second season of Beef, which brought him an Emmy nomination. Cretton has also built significant momentum across major studio projects. After directing character-driven dramas like The Glass Castle and Just Mercy, Cretton helmed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in 2021 before taking on Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which generated massive box office numbers and a substantial payday for Tom Holland.

Melton marks the first actor linked to the adaptation following Cretton’s open casting call for Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. According to The Hollywood Reporter, cameras are not expected to roll on the feature until around February 2027.

Lionsgate originally attempted to develop a live-action Naruto adaptation roughly a decade ago. Cretton boarded the production in 2024 with the full support of franchise creator Masashi Kishimoto.

“After enjoying his other films and understanding that his forte is in creating solid dramas about people, I became convinced that there is no other director for Naruto,” Kishimoto said in a statement when Cretton’s hiring was announced.

Source: Polygon