Netflix dropped a new look at its upcoming animated series based on Devil May Cry on Thursday, revealing the opening credits for Adi Shankar and Studio Mir’s anime adaptation of the Capcom franchise. In a surprise, bold, and incredibly fitting choice, the Devil May Cry anime will open with Limp Bizkit’s “Rollin’,” the breakout single from the nu metal band’s 2000 album Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water.
The original Devil May Cry and Limp Bizkit’s third album were both products of the early 2000s — so while DMC purists might argue that the series’ original music should be featured, I simply cannot argue that “Rollin’” is anything but an inspired, era-appropriate choice.
In a post on social media, Shankar offered some insight into the show’s choice of music, noting that his DMC universe “is set in a late ’90s/early 2000s PS2 era of the world. It’s not set in modern times. It’s set in my memory of the world, pre- and post-9/11. My music choices reflect this. My series features a mix of hits from that era and greatest musical hits from the DMC franchise reimagined by [synthwave duo Power Glove].” Power Glove provided music for Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, a source of inspiration for Shankar’s Captain Laserhawk series.
Shankar noted that each season of Devil May Cry will have “a different feel to emulate the way each game has a different feel. That means a different theme song each season and a completely different title design each season.” He warned, “You are not prepared for this soundtrack.”
In addition to a new look at Devil May Cry, Netflix also announced Thursday that the series will start streaming on April 3. At one point, Devil May Cry was planned for 2024, so it’s nice to see it finally have a firm release date.
Executive produced and created by Adi Shankar (Castlevania, Captain Laserhawk), and written by Alex Larsen (Yasuke), the Devil May Cry anime will span eight episodes. The series will focus on a younger Dante, and is inspired by the 2005 franchise prequel Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening. Animation company Studio Mir is known for its previous work on such shows as The Legend of Korra, The Boondocks, Young Justice, and Harley Quinn.
Netflix’s Devil May Cry anime is based on Capcom’s 23-year-old action franchise of the same name, which was created by game designer Hideki Kamiya, who recently announced his return to the Okami franchise. It’s been more than five years since we got a new Devil May Cry video game; Devil May Cry 5 was the most recent, and hopefully not the last.
