Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender officially wrapped filming back in June, and some new cast members have just been announced for the show. These cast members will be portraying some iconic characters from the animated series, like King Bumi, the bounty hunter June, and Princess Yue.
Netflix placed Avatar: The Last Airbender on their service back in 2020. Shortly after being placed on the platform, Avatar: The Last Airbender broke Netflix records by remaining in Netflix's "Top 10 Shows" longer than any other series, the previous holder for the record being a Netflix original, Ozark, which stayed in the top 10 for 57 days. Netflix recognized the potential of the franchise, which is experiencing a bit of a revival in the popular consciousness, and proceeded to order a live-action remake of the program.
Netflix revealed the new cast members on Twitter, where it confirmed some established names would be joining the cast. For instance, George Takei, who also voice acted in the animated series as a Fire Nation warden, is set to play Koh, the face-stealing spirit that Aang (Gordon Cormier) encounters near the end of Book 1. Danny Pudi (Community) will also be joining as the Mechanist, Utkarsh Ambudkar (Pitch Perfect, Ghosts) will be portraying King Bumi, and Amber Midthunder of Prey fame will be portraying Princess Yue, the heir of the Northern Water Tribe.
Arden Cho (Teen Wolf) is set to portray the bounty hunter June, whose deadly shirshu can paralyze with a lash of its tongue. Azula's (Elizabeth Yu) companions Ty Lee and Mai will be portrayed by Momona Tamada (The Baby-Sitter's Club) and Thalia Tran (Raya and the Last Dragon), respectively. And last, but certainly not least, the Cabbage Merchant will be portrayed by James Sie (Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra), who voiced the character and his descendant in the original series and its sequel.
The latest wave of new Avatar: The Last Airbender cast members is an encouraging look at the television adaptation. It showcases a continued desire to represent Asian and Indigenous actors in a world that is heavily inspired by those cultures. In the original series, the production crew drew inspiration from a variety of sources but primarily focused on East Asian and North American Indigenous cultures when designing their world.
There's still some reticence among the fanbase concerning live-action adaptations. The M. Night Shyamalan film, The Last Airbender, received harsh reviews upon its release for the various adaptational changes it made, which included allegations of whitewashing, and the fanbase still remembers it all too well. And the news of the original creators leaving the Avatar live-action remake has inspired some further reluctance. Still, the casting has been very impressive so far.
Avatar: The Last Airbender will be available to stream on Netflix.
Source: Netflix/Twitter