Taz Skylar is heading back into the underworld. The One Piece star Taz Skylar has officially joined the cast of Villains, the upcoming sequel to the British crime drama Villain, with production now wrapped in London. For fans of gritty UK thrillers and character-driven gangster stories, this new casting update signals a darker, bigger follow-up is on the way.
Skylar, who won global attention through Netflix’s live-action One Piece, reprises his role as Jason alongside Craig Fairbrass, who returns as Eddie Franks. The project is being launched to buyers at the Toronto International Film Festival market by Double Dutch International, adding fresh industry momentum to one of the more talked-about British crime sequels in development.
One Piece Star Taz Skylar Joins a Bigger, More Brutal Villains
The biggest headline here is simple: One Piece star Taz Skylar is back for Villains, and his return suggests the sequel will build directly on the tension and relationships established in the first film. Skylar has been steadily expanding his screen presence, balancing international streaming fame with harder-edged film roles, including Amazon’s Gassed Up.
In Villains, he reunites with Craig Fairbrass, whose Eddie Franks remains the emotional and violent center of the franchise. According to the film’s synopsis, Eddie is once again trying to escape his past, only to be dragged back into a dangerous world he thought he had left behind. The sequel is framed as a brutal reckoning, with family, loyalty and survival all colliding.
That premise keeps the franchise rooted in classic British crime cinema themes:
- A haunted antihero trying to go straight
- The pull of old loyalties and criminal history
- Family stakes that raise the emotional tension
- Violence used not just for spectacle, but consequence
Returning Cast and New Faces in the Villains Sequel
Alongside One Piece star Taz Skylar and Fairbrass, the cast adds several notable names from the UK and European screen scene. Orli Shuka, known for Gangs of London, joins the ensemble, as does Jason Maza of Welcome to the Punch.
The wider supporting cast includes:
- David O’Hara
- Percelle Ascott
- Frederick Schmidt
- Francis Magee
- Morgan Hilaire
- Stephen Uppal
- Hester Ruoff
- Danielle Brent
- Jack Shallo
- Mirabel Stuart
- George Russo, returning as Sean
This lineup points to an ensemble-driven crime thriller rather than a simple one-man revenge film. That matters, because the strongest UK gangster movies often thrive on the friction between layered side characters, rival power structures and shifting allegiances.
What We Know About the Story of Villains
Plot details remain tightly controlled, but the official synopsis paints a clear picture of the film’s tone. Eddie Franks is again trying to leave crime behind, only to discover that the past is not done with him. The result is described as relentless, with the story following a father forced back into the violent world he tried to escape.
That setup hints at a sequel that is likely to be:
- More personal than procedural
- Driven by character conflict rather than mystery
- Focused on consequences from the first film
- Grounded in a harsh London crime setting
Because One Piece star Taz Skylar is reprising Jason, audiences can reasonably expect the sequel to continue key dynamics from the original rather than rebooting the story with an entirely new direction.
New Director, Familiar Creative DNA
The original Villain marked the feature directorial debut of Philip Barantini, who later gained major acclaim for Boiling Point and the Emmy-winning Adolescence. For the sequel, directing duties shift to Neil Linpow, who is making his own feature debut.
The screenplay comes from Greg Hall and George Russo, maintaining continuity with the original film’s voice while opening the door for a fresh directorial style. That balance could be crucial. Sequels in the crime genre often work best when they preserve the emotional grit of the first film but scale up the visual ambition and dramatic intensity.
Craig Fairbrass has already suggested exactly that, describing the movie as “bigger and more brutal” and praising Linpow’s vision as unusually large in scale for a UK production. His comments also highlighted an existing creative shorthand with Skylar, noting that this is their third project together.
That kind of actor chemistry can be a major asset. For One Piece star Taz Skylar, it also reinforces his growing reputation as a performer who can move between blockbuster-adjacent franchises and grounded, muscular crime storytelling.
Why Taz Skylar’s Casting Matters
The return of One Piece star Taz Skylar gives Villains extra visibility well beyond traditional British crime audiences. Skylar now carries a global fanbase, and his involvement may help the sequel travel more strongly in international markets, especially with sales launching at TIFF.
His casting matters for several reasons:
- Global recognition: One Piece introduced him to a huge streaming audience
- Genre credibility: roles like Gassed Up support his action-crime appeal
- Franchise continuity: reprising Jason strengthens the sequel’s narrative link to the first film
- Marketability: familiar talent helps position the film for wider distribution
In a crowded streaming and theatrical environment, recognizable talent attached to a grounded, high-stakes crime thriller can make all the difference.
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Final Take on One Piece Star Taz Skylar in Villains
With filming complete in London, a proven crime lead in Craig Fairbrass, and One Piece star Taz Skylar returning to the fold, Villains is shaping up as an intriguing next chapter for fans of hard-edged British thrillers. The sequel appears set to deepen its emotional stakes while expanding its scale, which is exactly what audiences tend to want from a follow-up in this genre.
If the film delivers on its promise of being bigger, harsher and more intense, One Piece star Taz Skylar could help push Villains from niche crime sequel to breakout international title. For now, it is firmly one to watch in the TV & Video space and beyond.
