In October 2020, the anime spin-off feature Mugen Train became the year’s highest-grossing movie and the highest-grossing anime and Japanese film of all time, earning more than $500 million worldwide in a season where even the most major mainstream releases struggled. Now, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle follows up as the franchise’s second theatrically produced release, and as a direct continuation of events from Demon Slayer’s fourth season. As Mugen Train’s follower, and as the first installment of a planned Infinity Castle trilogy, this movie comes with high expectations.
It needs to hook audiences strongly enough to ensure they return for the next two films, while also proving the franchise has lasting global appeal, and that Mugen Train’s success wasn’t just a one-time phenomenon fueled by pandemic-era circumstances.
That puts extra pressure on the cast, as voice actor Zach Aguilar told Polygon. He digs deep in his role as the English-language version of demon-fighting protagonist Tanjiro, capturing the teenager’s drive to push beyond his limits in the heat of battle.
“I think that I’ve always given 110% to my role as Tanjiro,” Aguilar told Polygon. “And to see the success of Mugen Train is just absolutely incredible.” He says the pressure to excel only adds fuel to the cast’s fire. “It does inspire me to continue and go further beyond,” Aguilar admitted. “I have gotten to grow as an actor, and with the role as Tanjiro throughout the series, since Mugen Train has happened. So, yes, [it] definitely inspires me to give it my all, and I did on this movie.”
Abby Trott, the voice of Tanjiro’s demon sister Nezuko, says the pressure never really lets up, whether she’s recording for television or the big screen. “I always want to give my best, so I put pressure on myself to make sure I’m giving 100%. If I’m not happy with something, I’ll say, ‘Let’s do it again,’” she explained.
For Aguilar, the difference between recording Infinity Castle and Mugen Train came down to teamwork. “When I did Mugen Train, that was during COVID — it was a different time,” he told us. “I really enjoy going into the studio and working with the team as a whole, and I got to do that on this movie. We’re always going back and forth, trying things out — like, ‘What if I approach this scene differently, or tweak this line?’ It was a really collaborative process.”
With this project, specifically, Aguilar got to work with the team at post-production studio Bang Zoom, the producers from distributor Aniplex, and ADR director Steve Staley, a voice actor himself. “Everything that we collab on, like with the show, it’s all of us sort of brainstorming ideas together,” Aguilar said. “And then what makes it into the show is usually the best thing that all of us have collaboratively come up with.”
The film also introduces a new character, Keizo, voiced by Channing Tatum, who appears in a flashback as the master of the Soryu martial-arts dojo. The casting reflects a growing trend: More high-profile actors are being drawn to anime projects. Robert Pattinson and Christian Bale, for instance, made headlines in 2023 for their roles in Studio Ghibli’s The Boy and the Heron. “It’s just crazy to see something that was kind of niche that people didn’t fully understand back in the day has become just this massive influence in pop culture,” Aguilar said.
Anime fans may be tired of every new theatrical release being framed as an underdog story or a test for the medium’s future, but Infinity Castle rises to the occasion. It captures everything audiences loved about Mugen Train (complete with another soaring LiSA theme), while pushing the visuals and emotional stakes even higher. Fans should rest assured that the cast is aware of what’s at stake. As Aguilar put it, “I’m going to continue to give it my all as Tanjiro. It’s a legacy I don’t take lightly.”
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle hits theaters worldwide on Sept. 12, 2025.
