GosuANIME had the chance to sit down with Dr. Stone SCIENCE FUTURE's English dub lead stars to talk about the series' finale!
After seven years of science, survival, and rebuilding civilisation from scratch, Dr. Stone is finally approaching its conclusion with Dr. Stone SCIENCE FUTURE Part 3.
As the anime heads into its final chapter, GosuANIME had the chance to sit down with English dub stars Aaron Dismuke, who voiced Senku, and Brandon McInnis, who voiced Gen, to talk about their experience with the show. From reflecting on the emotions of returning for one last season, to the hopeful message the show leaves to fans, here's what went down during the interview!
What was it like returning to Dr. Stone knowing that SCIENCE FUTURE would be the final chapter of the anime?
McInnis: So many feelings. You know, every time we come back to a new season, especially in a show where we're portraying a character that we've portrayed for a very long time, it feels like returning to an old friend, at least for me. So it's so nice to come back. But I also feel with it being this final season […] but I've felt a lot of feelings. I'm excited that it's here. I'm sad that it's ending. But I think most of all, seeing this final season has made me feel a sense of responsibility to the fans of wanting to like deliver our best work in the booth to, you know, give the fans what they deserve: the best adaptation we can possibly make.
Dismuke: And I guess I'll just add, I've really loved the writing and the pacing of this story. And I trust that it's ending where it needs to.
This season really feels like the culmination of everything the series has been building toward since the beginning. Did that sense of finality affect the way you approached your performances?
Dismuke: I'd say not for me, because even though our time with Senku is drawing to a close, I don't think Senku has a sense that his story is ending. I think he's going to go on and make more amazing things. But I will say, it has been cool to see some of the foreshadowing, especially with the moon. You can go back to season one and see some really big shots of the moon. And it's like, oh, I see what you were doing there.
McInnis: It hasn't changed my basic approach either. We always try to, you know, our acting process pretty much remains the same. And we try to do good work.
Was there a particular moment while recording SCIENCE FUTURE where it really hit you that the series was coming to an end?
McInnis: I don't want to give any spoilers. I don't think this gives any spoilers. But when they're working on specific technologies related to getting to the moon, I think any time that happens, there is a sense of like, oh, oh, soon, soon, you know.
Dismuke: There is a point where we were thinking about doing the one way rocket. And I do remember, a moment where I was like, gosh, if they did try to do a recap, and they did the one way rocket, which the idea was, we might petrify ourselves after we deal with Why-Man and just be statues on the moon, waiting to get brought back someday. There was a moment there where I was like, so if they did try to reboot it, it would be like 3000 years in the future. Once we have rockets that can bring you back like that.
McInnis: And we start all over again.
Dismuke: Yeah. And I was like, wait a minute, Aaron, you read ahead.
Senku and Gen have such great chemistry in the show, built up through seven years. What was it like building that up for the dub?
McInnis: It was fun. It was so much fun.
Dismuke: Yeah, their common ground is humour, right? And they also really make up for each other's weak spots. Because Senku is blunt, [because] he does not have emotional finesse. He does not see a subtle doubt or subtle deceit in the eyes of a person he's talking to. And frankly, he's not interested in trying to see it. And Gen can see all that. And therefore, Gen can see that Senku isn't doing it, you know, so Senku might be the most honest person or one of the most honest people Gen has met. And Gen knows because, you know, it takes a con artist to know one.
McInnis: You're absolutely right, Aaron. He talks in the show about being a manipulator and manipulating people. That was his entire industry. He worked in television prior to to being petrified and, and changing his appearance based on performances and interacting with people. And I think Gen, at his core, in my opinion, is deeply a team player, and loves the camaraderie and community that the Kingdom of Science has created, and wants to contribute to that as much as possible, regardless of what he's saying. Because when you look at his actions, they speak very loudly to me.
Looking back at the anime as a whole, what do you think makes Dr. Stone such a special experience?
McInnis: I think it's about hope. What makes it such a special experience is that it conveys a deep sense of hope, to me, looking at what we as humanity can accomplish when we work together, not only in technological achievement, but in community and in personal relationships, too.
Dismuke: The characters in Dr. Stone [in the story] are about as strong, about as capable as they started it. But the Kingdom of Science keeps getting stronger and stronger. And it does that by bringing new people into the fold, and trusting them and empowering them to help themselves and to help each other. And the technologies only facilitate that further. We invent glasses, which allow people like Suika to see and to enjoy a more fulfilling life. But also, she uses that ability to then help us, literally saves all of our lives, and helps us develop new technologies. You know, we save Ruri with sulfa drugs, and then Ruri helps us to learn the lore that allows us to find things that Senku's dad left behind for us. So when we help others with science, that lets us also let them help us back. And so it is, yeah, incredibly community driven.
What do you hope viewers remember most about Dr. Stone once the anime finally concludes?
McInnis: I hope viewers remember that even when a task seems impossible, you have far more ability than you realize.
Dismuke: I'll do the version of it that I always say for Senku, which is to Senku, the problems in your life are puzzles to be solved. And the more difficult or life-threatening the problem seems, the more exciting the puzzle.
What is Dr. Stone SCIENCE FUTURE about?
The anime is based on a manga series written by Riichiro Inagaki, and illustrated by Boichi. It was published in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine from March 2017, and ended in March 2022. The chapters are collected in 27 tankōbon volumes.
The Dr. Stone anime first came out in 2019, followed by Season 2 in 2021. A TV special series titled Dr. Stone: Ryusui, which takes place between Seasons 2 and 3 came out in 2022. Season 3 ran over two split cours in 2023. It was announced that the fourth and final season of the anime, titled Dr. Stone: SCIENCE FUTURE, will be divided into three cours. The first cour aired in Winter 2025, with the second following in Summer 2025. The third and final cour began airing on 2 April, 2026.
The final episode for the series is set to premiere on 25 June, 2026.
Crunchyroll streams all seasons of the Dr. Stone anime globally and describes the story as:
Several thousand years after a mysterious phenomenon that turns all of humanity to stone, the extraordinarily intelligent, science-driven boy, Senku Ishigami, awakens.
Facing a world of stone and the total collapse of civilization, Senku makes up his mind to use science to rebuild the world. Starting with his super strong childhood friend Taiju Oki, who awakened at the same time, they will begin to rebuild civilization from nothing...
Depicting two million years of scientific history from the Stone Age to present day, the unprecedented crafting adventure story is about to begin!