Why did the Reze Arc become a movie instead of a second season?
When the Chainsaw Man anime returned, it did not return as a second television season. At Jump Festa '24 on December 17, 2023, the next screen chapter was announced as a film: Chainsaw Man: The Movie: Reze Arc, adapting the Reze arc from volumes 5 and 6 of the manga, with Reina Ueda as Reze. It premiered in Japan on September 19, 2025, directed by Tatsuya Yoshihara, the first season's action director, and went on to gross $191.4 million worldwide.
Why a film? MAPPA's president answered the question directly, on the record, before the film opened.
The stated reason
Anime News Network, Anime Expo 2025Asked by Anime News Network why MAPPA chose a movie over a second season on streaming, president Manabu Ohtsuka said: 'From a business standpoint, we want to have as many people as possible enjoy The Reze Arc... It should go theatrical.' Season 1 had been carried internationally by Crunchyroll, and Ohtsuka praised that partnership, then drew the distinction: streaming subscribers 'may not necessarily go to theaters. They might be a little more at home-based. We want to reach a different, broader audience.' The theatrical release ran through Sony Pictures, the partner he named for reaching those people.
Pressed on whether the larger theatrical revenue share was the motive, Ohtsuka closed that door: 'The revenue aspect wasn't really a factor at all. It's trying to deliver the product to as many people as possible. To widen our fan base, we thought it would be best to go theatrical.' Vice president Hiroya Hasegawa added the creative half of the reasoning: the film is a loyal continuation of the first season, and 'we thought that the cinema was the best way to deliver the Reze Arc.'
What they did get
The arc itselfThe Reze arc is the most self contained major arc in Part 1: one girl, one summer, one secret. Reze arrives as a cafe worker who seems to like Denji, and is revealed as the Bomb Devil hybrid, a Soviet trained agent sent for his heart. In feature length the arc plays as a single rising line, a romance that turns into a chase and a coastline fight, which is the shape Hasegawa's 'best way to deliver it' points at. The film kept the television series' core staff, with character designer Kazutaka Sugiyama returning and the designs adjusted closer to Fujimoto's manga style.
The result, for the record: a number one opening weekend in Japan, ending a nine week run at the top by another film, a number one opening weekend in the United States, and a worldwide total of $191.4 million. Whatever comes next was left open at the time. Ohtsuka, asked about a second season in the same interview, said only that the studio is always thinking about the best way to deliver Chainsaw Man, and would announce plans when it announces them. A follow up adapting the International Assassins arc was later announced at Jump Festa '26 on December 21, 2025.