The wait is finally over — it is time to meet the cast of Netflix’s live action Avatar: The Last Airbender series! This announcement comes as an exciting development as it hasn’t been the easiest road for the soon-to-be series. Three years since the show was first reported, it has proven difficult to get the ball rolling, and with the original creators deciding to part ways with the project, the difficulties continued. Now with Albert Kim (Sleepy Hollow, Nikita) chosen to be the showrunner, things have gotten moving.
Bringing Aang, the avatar himself, to life for a whole new generation of viewers will be Gordon Cormier. Aang will have to bear the burden of mastering all four elements in order to keep the delicate peace of the world in check. Learning the weight of the world falls on your shoulders is a lot for a 12-year-old to handle, and following Aang along on this journey will be exciting to say the least.
Kiawentiio Tarbell will play Katara, a strong-willed waterbender. Katara is the last waterbender of her tribe and in her young life has experienced a great amount of loss. She will have to overcome her own mind to fully embrace her potential as she joins Aang on his quest.
Set to bring Sokka, Katara’s older brother, to life is Ian Ousley. Circumstances have thrown Sokka into the leadership role of his tribe at such a young age. With so much pressure and self doubt of his skills weighing on him, he hides behind his sarcastic sense of humor and amazing boomerang skills.
Every hero needs a “villain,” and the series finds theirs in Zuko, played by Dallas Liu. Zuko is a firebender who happens to also be the Crown Prince of the powerful Fire Nation. After being exiled by his father, Zuko embarks on a quest to capture the avatar. This quest slowly becomes obsessive and is all he focuses on as he fights to reclaim his old life and his honor.
Albert Kim will also serve as the main writer on the show along with being an executive producer. Joining Kim as producers will be Dan Lin (Aladdin, The Lego Movie), Lindsey Liberatore (Walker), and Michael Goi (Swamp Thing). The series has some amazing directors already lined up with Roseanne Liang alongside Goi and Jabbar Raisani.
Kim counts his daughter as the one responsible for his love of the original show and his involvement in this live action series. He clearly has an immense excitement and unique plan for the reimagined series, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter:
“This was a chance to showcase Asian and Indigenous characters as living, breathing people. Not just in a cartoon, but in a world that truly exists, very similar to the one we live in.”
Fans of the original series will be in for a few surprises, and for all updates on the series, follow us here at Nerds and Beyond.
