Netflix’s Devil May Cry is Playing with Fire After Casting Johnny Yong Bosch as Dante Could be “weird and distracting for long time fans”

Netflix’s new adaptation of Devil May Cry has garnered significant hype, not just for the mere fact that it’s adapting the beloved demon-slaying franchise to animation, but because of a casting choice that has many long-time fans baffled and confused. Johnny Yong Bosch, the voice actor for playing Nero in Devil May Cry 4 and Devil May Cry 5, has now been cast to voice Dante, the series’ primary protagonist, in the Netflix show.

This choice is obviously going to confuse many fans who have long associated Johnny Yong Bosch’s voice with Nero and Dante’s voice actor, Reuben Langdon, was sort of irreplaceable. While nobody is questioning Bosch’s talents as a voice actor to bring the protagonist to life, it seems like an odd choice to hire an original Devil May Cry voice actor to reprise a different role.

The Legacy of Dante’s Voice

For over a decade, Reuben Langdon has been the only voice actor for Dante from the entire series, including lending his voice for Devil May Cry: The Animated Series. Since Devil May Cry 3’s release in 2005, Langdon has not only voiced Dante but also performed his motion capture. So, if even the anime created by Madhouse could get Langdon on board, why didn’t Netflix cast him?

Not gonna lie casting one of the 3 main leads of the last couple games as a different one of the leads is going to be incredibly weird and distracting for long time fans. I get ditching Rueben but this is a very strange choice.

— FT2 Enjoyer (@Sleepy__Justin) September 20, 2024

Langdon’s long-standing connection with Dante is pivotal to his portrayal. Nobody can replicate the suave and charming demeanor of Dante better than his original voice actor. The brash and cocky attitude mixed in with his cool combat skills was entirely Langdon’s talents and deep connection to the character. However, there is a glaring reason why the actor might not have been considered for the role.

Why Johnny Yong Bosch Had to Take Over

Reuben Langdon, in recent history, has expressed some seriously problematic opinions. From anti-vaccination conspiracies to criticism of the #MeToo movement that has affected several women, many fans are also willing to let Langdon go from the role of Dante. The voice actor has garnered so much controversy that many believe Capcom is not interested in associating with him anymore.

Johnny Yong Bosch, on the other hand, has a history with the Devil May Cry series and can effectively portray a young version of Dante that Netflix’s adaptation is aiming for. His talents know no bounds, from voicing Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach to his roles in Persona 4. Some fans have even shown some humor out of the situation, referencing the relationship between Nero and Dante.

Nero got sick of Dante calling him deadweight, so he decided to voice Dante. Nice.

— Cosmic Multiverse (@BlackwindG77705) September 20, 2024

On the other hand, it is understandable that long-time fans who will tune into the show are scared they will end up only hearing Nero rather than a new version of Dante. The closeness in Bosch’s own performances of both characters could make differentiating the two a lot harder, making it tough for long-time fans to fully accept him as Dante, especially when Dante has such a distinct voice in the minds of fans. Still, only the release of the series with the full performances will tell if Bosch nailed the task passed to him.

Devil May Cry will be available on Netflix in April 2025.