Recently, some “epic” images believed to be from the upcoming live-action Dragon Ball Z movie set to air on Netflix have caused a stir on social media. The images reveal the appearance of some actors portraying characters from Dragon Ball Z, which closely resemble the iconic anime/animation designs, exciting fans greatly.

Dragon Ball, created by Japanese author Akira Toriyama, is a legendary manga series that has been adapted into an animated series. Dragon Ball Z is the sequel to the original Dragon Ball animated series. The story revolves around the main character, Goku, an extraterrestrial being called a Saiyan, who defends Earth against various threats from other Saiyans, androids, and even magical creatures.

In 2009, Hollywood attempted a live-action adaptation of the Dragon Ball franchise with “Dragon Ball: Evolution,” which was a disastrous failure. The film failed to resonate with fans of the original work and was poorly received by audiences, ultimately receiving only 14% critic score and 30% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. “Dragon Ball: Evolution” is often regarded as one of the worst films of all time.

However, the success of the live-action adaptation of One Piece on Netflix in 2023 has renewed hope for manga/anime adaptations in Hollywood. Most recently, a live-action adaptation of Naruto is also in development, led by the director of “Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings.” Therefore, it’s not surprising that Hollywood is considering bringing the Dragon Ball world back to the screen with a live-action adaptation of Dragon Ball Z.

With the leaked images, it seems that Netflix has done well in the casting and character design stage. The images have garnered praise, and fans are eagerly awaiting more information from Netflix, such as a trailer and official release date.

Unfortunately, the images purported to be from the live-action Dragon Ball Z movie are actually AI-generated. In reality, neither Netflix nor Hollywood has any plans to develop a live-action Dragon Ball movie, at least not in the near future. However, given the popularity of Dragon Ball and the recent success of other live-action adaptations like One Piece and Avatar: The Last Airbender, the possibility of the “Dragon Ball” universe being adapted again for the screen is not entirely out of the question.

In March 2023, actor Michael B. Jordan (Black Panther, Creed) expressed interest in directing a live-action Dragon Ball Z movie, calling it a “final challenge.” Zack Snyder, known for his work on DC films like Man of Steel and most recently Rebel Moon in 2021, has also mentioned Dragon Ball Z, stating that he would consider directing the film if given the opportunity.