For years now, John Cho has been the figurehead for increased Asian-American representation in Hollywood. Handsome, talented, and all-too-aware of the opportunities afforded him (or not) as an actor, it feels like Cho has been deserving of a signature role in a big franchise even as far back as “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.” And when Netflix cast him as Spike Spiegel in their upcoming adaptation of “Cowboy Bebop,” he accomplished the impossible: he inspired fans to set aside years of frustration and skepticism with the property and give the show a chance.
READ MORE: John Cho Joins the Cast of Netflix’s “Cowboy Bebop”
Which is one long way of saying that Netflix owes him, and even after Cho suffered a bad accident on the set of “Cowboy Bebop,” it sounds like they have no intention of parting ways with their star. According to Nellie Andreeva at Deadline, Cho was injured during “a freak accident that happened on the last take of a routine and well-rehearsed scene.” Early estimates put the shutdown time between and nine months, meaning that fans will have to wait even longer for the “Cowboy Bebop” adaptation they may or may not have always wanted.
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In the article, Andreeva notes that while Netflix could theoretically recast the role—the series was early enough in the production process to allow this kind of a change—the streaming giant remains “fully committed to Cho in the title role” and is willing to delay production until “late spring/early summer” to accommodate the actor’s rehab schedule. Depending on how you look at things, this is either a proper show of faith or a shrewd business decision from Netflix. Whatever costs they accrue from delaying “Cowboy Bebop” have to be less than the box office hit they’d take if they un-cast a beloved actor like Cho from a franchise of this magnitude. Sometimes, the right move and the smart move are the same move.
