Created by Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo, FX’sShōgunfirst debuted on June 11, 2025. The series takes place in the year 1600 when Japan is on the cusp of a century-defining civil war. Hiroyuki Sanada stars as Lord Yoshii Toranaga, who finds himself in danger from the Council of Regents. The rest of the main cast includes Cosmo Jarvis,Anna Sawai, Tadanobu Asano, Hiroto Kanai, Takehiro Hira, and Moeka Hoshi.
While a premiere date is yet to be announced,FX renewed the showfor seasons 2 and 3 in May. Assistant Stunt Coordinator Sharlene Royer expresses her excitement to return toShōgun, with the stunt team currently on standby. Royer became the first Black female stunt coordinator to win a Leo Award after her work on CBS’Tracker. She has also been involved with projects such asX-Men: Days of Future Past,DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,Child’s Play, andStar Trek Beyond.
Shōgun Seasons 2 & 3’s Narrative Approach Explained By FX Boss: “Really Do It Justice”
FX boss John Landgraff explains what approach is being taken to the narratives of Shōgun seasons 2 and 3 after the show’s surprising renewal.
ScreenRantinterviews Royer about what led her toShōgun,helping coordinate Mariko’s fight with Ishido, and ensuring the stunts inTrackerseason 1were in character.
“I started working with him, and he’s the one who got the show because of his relationship with The Last Samurai.”
ScreenRant: What first inspired you to do stunt coordinating?
Sharlene Royer: It was like in 2000, way back in the day, when the show, The Adventures of Pluto Nash, arrived in Montreal. So the film industry was not very developed at that point, and the stunt coordinator was looking for a stunt double for Rosario Dawson, and my picture and resume happened to be on the desk to be a stand-in for her, so they called me up and simply asked me if I was willing to try doing stunts, and I said “yes.”
His name was Alan Oliney. He was one of the first Black stunt men in the industry way back in the day. So I received a phone call, went to meet him, and he told me right away, “You’re a good double, I’m going to train you.” And for six months, he trained me, and then I stuck to the job. I stuck to the industry because I liked it, but it was really that I got picked. It found me. I didn’t run after it, it came to me.
Shōgunis known for its intense battle scenes, but how did you get involved in that project specifically?
Sharlene Royer: It’s because I work with my partner. He’s a stunt coordinator, second-unit director, notorious stuntman, Lauro Chartrand-DelValle, and I have been his assistant for the past six years now. When I was working as a stunt performer, I was getting older, and I wanted to transition slowly into coordinating, so that was the best position to be in.
I started working with him, and he’s the one who got the show because of his relationship with The Last Samurai, which would lead to Shōgun. It was the same people involved, the lead actor, specifically. So we work together. What he does, I need to know, so when he’s busy, I’m there to fill the gap. Basically, I’m a coordinator as well.
Mariko And Ishido’s Fight In Shōgun Episode 9 Required Intensive Background Research
A martial arts and katana expert analyzed Mariko’s fight with Ishido in Episode 9 and gave it an incredible accuracy grade. Can you provide some insight into ensuring that sequence was authentic?
Sharlene Royer: There were a few consultants. We had a sensei, Demura, who passed away. It was the sensei of my boss, Lauro [Chartrand-DelValle]. And Lauro managed to have her trained way back in Japan with other stunt martial artists over there that were involved in the show. So we trained her over there.
When she came to shoot the piece, he did the choreography, had the consultant, and made sure it was by the book. You know how all the fight scenes are being done now with acrobatic moves and all those special things. We did none of this because, at that time period, it was pure and simple basic martial artists.
So we had to contain all the stunt performers, the choreographer, to tone it down, and keep it to the basics, so it would look authentic. There was a lot of research involved. And, of course, Lauro is a martial artist himself, so he did his own research and made sure that everything was contained. Anna Sawai was a good student. She was really, really, really good. To the tee, she learned everything, and repetition is what makes it great. So a lot of repetition and consulting and advising.
Shōgunjust got renewed for season 2 and season 3. Are you planning on coming back?
Sharlene Royer: Yeah. We’re pretty excited about that. We’re ready. We’re so ready. And we’ll probably have the same team, because why fix something when it’s not broken?
Have you started mapping anything out or is it still in the very early stages?
Sharlene Royer: It’s a very early stage because they’re still in the process of writing. So until those things are ready and we get the official green light for production, we’re on standby.
Justin Hartley Helps Make Sure His Tracker Stunts Are In-Character
“We’ll put a fight together with the stunt double, and then film it, and then show it to Justin.”
You’ve worked onTracker, as well. Obviously, the fight scenes are very different when you compare these two genres, but I’m curious if you noticed any crossover.
Sharlene Royer: Oh, it’s the pace. It’s two different show styles. Shōgun was on a feature film pace, which is when you take the time to shoot maybe two scenes a day. So it was like ten episodes over fourteen months. The pace is way faster on Tracker. We have eight days to shoot an episode. The technique is not the same.
You don’t need to be so precise in the technique because it’s more like a street fight and sloppier. It’s not the same mindset. So faster for Tracker and it’s more flexible in the fighting style. The choreography is about working more in tune with the actor. What he wants, and what he feels like he would do. It’s two totally different beasts.
Does the stunt team consider things like Colter’s personality, for example? Do you evaluate how it affects his movement and his fighting style?
Sharlene Royer: Yes. We’ll put a fight together with the stunt double, and then film it, and then show it to Justin. He’ll look at it and will say, “At that point I will feel that way. I would rather do it this way because I’m more in that state of mind,” and then we adjust everything. Sometimes we adjust things on the day, and he’s very good with that.
He’s very physical, so we have the liberty and the freedom to do things last-minute with him. We definitely need to have a lot of flexibility for him in terms of choreography to adjust on the spot. We lay down a skeleton, a base, and then we’re open to change on the set. He has a say in it, for sure.
Season 2 is already airing, but would you ever want to return to the series?
Sharlene Royer: We made a decision that we were not going back for season 2 because we were working on another show in Mexico. Also season 2 and 3 is going to overlap, so we really want to go back to Shōgun. At some point, we do stuff that’s nice, but sometimes, we have to let go of things and wish them farewell. They are in good hands, anyway, right now, so it’s all good. We have to pick and choose at some point.
“There’s a lot of being aware of what’s around you, so you have to trust the other department.”
There’s alsoChild’s Play, and I’m curious about your role in a film of that nature. It was a CGI doll, right?
Sharlene Royer: That was a trip, that one. It was a mixture of both. Sometimes, you have the actual doll being puppeteered. There was a whole team to manipulate that little monster [laughs].
How does that work with stunts when the doll is behind so much of the action?
Sharlene Royer: Basically, it’s not in our backyard, but anything that is related to it is. Let’s say that he kills one of the characters or someone is pushed, we take it from that part. But anything in relationship with the little puppet—for sure, we need to have it in consideration. It’s there. And we have markers, like, “Okay, he’s going to be there,” and the reaction, but there are so many departments involved that we take care of where the actor or the stunt performer is reacting to the puppet.
The puppet is not our department, so we can just communicate with them and say, “What is he going to do, where is he going to be? This is what we’re doing,” and then we work in sync together. So there are a lot of moving parts that have to be in-sync in that moment. Sometimes you need to react to nothing. You know it’s there, but when you shoot it, it’s not there, and the performer has to react to something, and then they put it together. There’s a lot of being aware of what’s around you, so you have to trust the other department that you’re doing the right stuff at the right place.
You’ve done stunts yourself, so can you perform one that you’re also coordinating?
Sharlene Royer: No, because, in general, for insurance purposes, you cannot perform and coordinate at the same time. So if a situation like that happened, I would have to call another stunt coordinator to cover set for me, and then I do the stunts for instance, if ever. It happens sometimes that my boss, Lauro, wants to perform, so he will do it, and I will be on set coordinating being the cover set stunt coordinator to look over it, and make sure I got his back. In general, you don’t do both.
Lastly, is there a film franchise or a series you would like to work on but haven’t had the chance to yet?
Sharlene Royer: Oh my God. I did Star Trek, so that was a great thing to be on because I was a fan, and then I did X-Men, so it’s really hard to top it. But I have to say, if I could go back in time, and it was in the era of The Bionic Woman—I had the doll that moved apart with all the bionic parts on it. I would’ve loved to be part of it.
That’s the only regret I have. So if they do another one or a remake of that, I want to play in it. I want to be in it. This is something I would love to do. And there’s another, because I’m a fan of any science-fiction stuff. I love classical things, but since fiction is something that I really love. Logan’s Run—I know it’s been a while to attempt to do a remake of it, but when it happens, call me.
About FX’s Shōgun Season 1
Based on James Clavell’s bestselling novel
FX’s Shōgun, based on James Clavell’s bestselling novel, is set in Japan in the year 1600, at the dawn of a century-defining civil war. “Lord Yoshii Toranaga” (Hiroyuki Sanada) is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him, when a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village.
FX’sShōgunis currently streaming on Hulu.
Shogun
Shōgun, released in 2024, is set in Japan during 1600 at the onset of a significant civil war. It follows Lord Yoshii Toranaga as he battles political adversaries on the Council of Regents, while a European ship mysteriously appears in a nearby fishing village, complicating the tides of power.
