The a new film covering the manga's Reze Arc is in production, and there's good reason to assume it may come with a new visual style.

Unfortunately, since the release of Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc's initial teaser trailer, very little has been shared about the film. The trailer itself is extremely stylized, though it didn't go into enough detail to confirm whether the series' art direction would be altered. Due to some behind the scenes changes within MAPPA, however, the movie will likely have a new director at the helm, with an all-new vision for Chainsaw Man.

Chainsaw Man's Reze Arc Film Will Likely Have a New Director

The Series' Previous Director Has Since Left the Studio

Season One of Chainsaw Man was directed by Ryu Nakayama, a self-proclaimed fan of the series who was intent on bringing the manga's cinematic feel to life. While he ultimately achieved his goal with the anime, delivering an artistically grounded adaptation that emulated a live-action series, many fans disagreed with Nakayama's vision for Chainsaw Man. And early in 2024, the director announced on X that he would be opening his own animation studio separate from MAPPA, called Andraft.

Seeing as MAPPA still holds the rights to Chainsaw Man, the likelihood of Nakayama returning for the Reze Arc movie is extremely low. The director's reasons for leaving MAPPA and starting his own studio have never been revealed, though there is speculation that online backlash to the anime's first season led to his departure. Regardless, a new director will certainly bring a new spin on the series, starting with one of the manga's most popular arcs.

Chainsaw Man's Anime Art Style Is Divisive Among Fans

Some Fans Disagree With the Series' Bleak Tone

The biggest critique of Chainsaw Man's first season came with its desaturated color palette and relatively bleak tone. While the series is undoubtedly a darker one, many fans believe a brighter adaptation would have better fit the source material, partly because of Fujimoto's own colored pages and volume covers. Often, the mature themes being depicted within the manga's s are juxtaposed by bright, clashing colors in distinct and unique ways. The fully-colored version of the manga follows a similar style, though it was done by VIZ and not the series' author.

While it cannot be certain that Chainsaw Man's Reze Arc movie will adopt the brighter color palette of the manga, there will surely be a notable change as long as a different director comes on board. Tatsuki Fujimoto is a self-proclaimed film enthusiast, however, and it's apparent in his work. Fans shouldn't be surprised if Chainsaw Man retains its trademark cinematic feel regardless of its director.