Charles Melton has not been officially confirmed as Kakashi Hatake. Reports published on Aug. 20, 2026, say he is in talks or final negotiations for the role, meaning the casting was not yet finalized.
False
Charles Melton has been cast as Kakashi Hatake in the upcoming live-action Naruto movie.
'Naruto': Charles Melton in Final Talks to Star in Destin Daniel Cretton's Live-Action Movie - TheWrap
Source: thewrap.com
At a glance
Verified August 20, 2026Key Evidence
The Hollywood Reporter reported that Melton was in talks to play Kakashi, while casting for Naruto was still underway.
TheWrap, IGN and Just Jared independently described the actor as being in final talks or negotiations, rather than officially cast.
Several secondary headlines stated or implied that Melton had been cast, but their underlying summaries retained the qualification that the deal was not final.
The reporting
What the Evidence Shows
The strongest available report, an exclusive from The Hollywood Reporter, says Charles Melton is in talks to play Kakashi Hatake in Lionsgate's live-action Naruto movie. It also says the production is still searching for the actor who will play Naruto. That supports a developing casting negotiation, not a completed casting announcement.
TheWrap, IGN, Just Jared and several other outlets similarly describe Melton as being in final talks or negotiations. Some headlines and summaries use stronger wording, such as saying the film has cast Melton or that it has found its live-action Kakashi, but their accompanying reports qualify the development by explaining that a deal was still being negotiated. Those descriptions do not establish that Melton had signed a contract or been officially announced by the studio.
The distinction matters because final negotiations can still end without a deal. Based on the reporting available as of Aug. 20, 2026, Melton was the reported choice for Kakashi, but the claim that he had already been cast overstated the status of the agreement.
Primary trail
Verified Sources10
Open source