Netflix’s new anime Devil May Cry tells the story of Dante and Lady, a pair of young demon hunters with very different backgrounds and motivations. Fans of the game series will immediately find plenty to love about the stylish show, which combines violence, early 2000s Nu-Metal music, and a thought-provoking narrative that delves into the origins of both Dante and Lady.
Game Rant recently sat down with Devil May Cry‘s creator, Adi Shankar, and Scout Taylor-Compton, who plays Lady. They discussed attempting to make the show appealing to both veteran fans and newcomers, and they also talked about the character Lady and how she came so naturally to Taylor-Compton. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
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How Devil May Cry Balances Old and New Fan Expectations
Q: Devil May Cry has a dedicated fan base that has been around for many years. What do you think this series does that will resonate with both the long-time fans and newcomers, and how do you think it honors the core themes of the franchise?
Shankar: My goal going in was to do exactly what you just said. It was an exercise in alchemy. Devil May Cry does have a very dedicated fan base. I’m part of the fan base, but if you really get into it, the fan base is fractured because of all the different games, different outfits, etc. It’s not a cohesive group, so this was an exercise in alchemy, bringing it all together.
I use the phrase ‘cosmic editing’ when describing it. It’s like using the hindsight of 24 years’ worth of material designed through retconning, then cosmically editing it and not changing it again. That’s the key. Sometimes I go into things like Captain Laserhawk, and I’m like, “Alright, we’re gonna flip everything on its head.” I did not do that here. That was not my goal. The goal was to reveal the architecture that was always there.
Devil May Cry’s Dante and Lady’s Relationship Evolves as the Show Progresses
Q: Lady’s relationship with Dante is complex and sometimes filled with tension. How did this dynamic evolve as the show progressed?
Taylor-Compton: I wish I could have called Jonny (Yong Bosch) while I was recording this and ask, “What were you doing at that moment?” All I could do was imagine. We record by ourselves, so we don’t record with the other actors. It’s literally me just reading my lines, so I have no idea what the other actors were doing, but I think, more importantly, I understood the material. I understand Adi, so I could read what was going on. Thankfully, Johnny did such an amazing job. We just connected without actually connecting in the room.
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Devil May Cry’s Lady, Explained
Shankar: This version of Lady, I should point out, was heavily based on a dynamic that Scout and I had in a movie we acted in together previously. Lady is Scout, if that makes sense. Again, this is the Lady from the Devil May Cry games. This is not some new character. These are younger versions of the same characters. We’ve never seen them this young. But as far as I’m concerned, Lady is Scout.
Taylor-Compton: I did Halloween, and Laurie Strode is such a loved character; so cherished. I watched those movies like crazy, and I was like, “I have to be like her.” That’s something I didn’t do here. I didn’t go and re-watch, or go play the games, or listen to her voice. Adi and I have known each other for so long, and I know this is his love story; his dream. I know that whoever he was going to pick for Lady was the right fit for it.
When he did pick me, I just trusted that what I was bringing to it was exactly what Lady needed to be. So I trusted myself, fully, for the first time doing a role. I was so comfortable, probably also because we have a friendship. I was like, “I trust you. I trust myself. I trust the vision. I’m gonna put in my all and my strength and how I see her into it.”
[END]
- Release Date
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April 3, 2025
- Network
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Netflix
- Writers
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Alex Larsen
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Johnny Yong Bosch
Dante (Voice)
