Based on the mangaDragon Ballby Akira Toriyama,Dragonball Evolutionfailed to honor the source material and live up to the legacy of the world-famous anime it spawned. Actor James Marsters, who portrayed Lord Piccolo in the film, describedDragonball Evolutionas"offensively bad"in an interview onInside Of You with Michael Rosenbaum. This review is apt whenDragonball Evolutionhas become one of the most reviledmovies in theDragon Balltimelineand one of the most hated live-action anime adaptations of all time.
Surprisingly,a lot of good did come out of such a disappointing film, as it led to Marsters voicing Zamasu,the main villain in the “Future Trunks Saga,” inDragon Ball Super. Marsters portraying the evil Supreme Kai was very much an act of redemption; he got to play the villain in the story he hoped to deliver withDragonball Evolution,making it one of the best things to result from the film’s dramatic failure.
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Because Marsters is a long-timeDragon Ballfan, playing Piccolo in a Hollywood-produced film based on the manga and anime should have been a dream come true. However, the actor said onInside Of Youthat he was appalled by the lack of people going to see it in theaters. On the other hand, Marsters claimed thatDragonball Evolutionwas so bad that the"one good thing"about it was that not many people had seen it.
Fortunately for him, whenDragon Ball Superwas looking for an actor to voice Zamasu, Marsters had found a chance to redeem himself in the eyes of fans. However, the actor starred in the anime under the name"David Gray"to surprise fans at conventions by revealing that he played Zamasu as an apology forDragonball Evolution. In a way,Marsters got a second chance at playing Piccolo as Zamasu,as the two villains share several similarities.
Zamasu helped Marsters deliver the story that fans should have gotten in Dragonball Evolution.
Both characters are deities who began as warriors for good before starting a quest to destroy humanity. They also both have evil versions of Goku working with them at some point (Zamasu has Goku Black, while Piccolo has the Oozaru). The heroes inDragon Ball Supereven use the Evil Containment Wave to attempt to seal Zamasu away like Piccolo. For these reasons, Zamasu helped Marsters deliver the story that fans should have gotten inDragonball Evolution.
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Marsters Helped Bring One of Dragon Ball’s Best Villains To Life As Zamasu
As an actor, Marsters didn’t have the best introduction to theDragon Balluniverse, but it opened the door for him to gain the role he was born to play.By voicing Zamasu inDragon Ball Super, Marsters captures the refined but sinister gravitas of the fallen Supreme Kaias he wages war on all mortals. One can practically feel Zamasu’s arrogance and misguided morality burn through in Marsters' voice.
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With much better material to work with inDragon Ball Superthan he had playing Lord Piccolo, Marsters was able to bring one of the most compelling villains inDragon Ballhistory to life through his performance as Zamasu. The wicked Kai has since become one of the franchise’s most popular villains, with Joseph Ocasio fromCBRcalling him one of the best characters introduced inDragon Ball Superand likening him to Marvel’s Thanos.
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Akira Toriyama’s Disappointment With The Film Led To Him Rebooting The Dragon Ball Franchise
Marsters' performance as Zamasu wasn’t the only good thing to come out ofDragonball Evolution. In fact, before the movie’s release, Toriyama was nearly finished with theDragon Balland had no creative input in the production. However, after the disastrous failure,a disappointed Toriyama realized that he had tosave theDragon Ballfranchise, as it would have fallen apart without its creator. When Toei Company was developing the filmDragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, Toriyama revised much of the script. He then continued to oversee the development of the franchise until his death in 2024.
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Toriyama eventually reinvigorated the franchise’s popularity with the sequel animeDragon Ball Super,expanding the story with new characters like Beerus and Zamasu while bringing back fan favorites like Frieza, Future Trunks, and Broly. On top of all that, by exploring new concepts with Super Saiyan Gods and Ultra Instinct, Toriyama helped create some ofDragon Ball’s best fightsin recent memory.
But had the film not been so disappointing, Dragon Ball Super wouldn’t exist the way it is today.
Marsters may have hated his first foray into theDragon Ballfranchise, but it only made his experience voicing Zamasu more meaningful. By bringing to life one of the franchise’s best villains in Zamasu, the actor also got to fulfill fans' expectations thatDragonball Evolutionshattered. But had the film not been so disappointing,Dragon Ball Superwouldn’t exist the way it is today. Failures likeDragonball Evolutioncan lead to exciting new opportunities, and the franchise is the better for it.
Dragonball Evolution
Cast
Dragonball Evolution is a live-action adaptation of the popular Japanese manga and anime series Dragon Ball. Directed by James Wong, the film stars Justin Chatwin as Goku, who embarks on a quest to collect the seven Dragon Balls and prevent the evil Lord Piccolo from destroying the world. The movie diverges from its source material, offering a modernized take on the beloved franchise.
