That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, Avatar: The Last Airbender has returned for another live-action run-around as a Netflix series. But don’t be so quick to write it off based on M. Night Shyamalan’s movie. This time around, the project was cast specifically to showcase the talent of Asian and Indigenous actors. Unlike the film, which has a notorious reputation of being whitewashed, the series has selected actors who are gloriously suited to their roles, not only in their race but in their extraordinary talent as well. But even though the cast is perfect, the omens seem mixed as we journey down the rabbit hole once again.

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Netflix took the project on in 2018 and had obvious setbacks with production in 2020. And special effects buffs will be pleased to hear that the show will be filmed using new LED technology called the Volume. But considering obvious concerns from fans, this live-action remake will have a difficult mountain to climb when it comes to pleasing its audience.

Avatar: The Last Airbender was a Western anime that truly left its mark among those growing up in the ’90s and early 2000s, and previous failures in tackling a remake have left fans skeptical if it can be redone. That being said, let’s start with the good news.

The Cast

     Netflix

As stated above, the production made it a clear goal out of the gate to make sure the cast wasn’t whitewashed again. This time, just about every cast member will be from Asian, Indigenous, or Pacific-Islander backgrounds. Considering it’s only the first season, Toph hasn’t been cast yet, but every other prominent role in the series has been announced. As for our other three heroes (and one anti-hero), the lead role of Aang will be played by Gordon Cormier from Lost in Space. Kiawentiio Tarbell from Anne with an E will play Katara. Ian Ousley from 13 Reasons Why has the role of Sokka. And Zuko will be played by Dallas Liu from PEN15.

The next announcement in casting came when the crew had found Fire Lord Ozai. Oddly enough, the Fire Lord’s hairpin will be worn by Daniel Dae Kim (Lost), who voiced the stubborn earthbender General Fong in the original series, and Hiroshi Sato in the Legend of Korra. But the next round of announcements might have been the most exciting, with Lim Kay Siu perfectly ready to play Monk Gyatso, Aang’s childhood mentor. Ken Leung (Lost, The Force Awakens) will play hot-headed General Zhao. Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, underneath his rebel pilot’s helmet from The Mandalorian, is hiding a cheerful smile that was made to be Uncle Iroh’s.

But the good news doesn’t stop there. The female antagonists and supporting characters are a perfect fit as well. Maria Zhang is playing Suki, leader of the Kyoshi Warriors. Tamlyn Tomita (The Joy Luck Club, The Karate Kid part II) will play Suki’s mother, Yukari. Yvonne Chapman is the powerful Avatar Kyoshi. Long-time Native rights activist Casey Camp-Horinek will play Gran-Gran, the matriarch of the Southern Water Tribe. And although Mai and Ty Lee haven’t been cast yet, Elizabeth Yu has been chosen to play the brilliant and deadly Azula.

The Plot

Here’s where things begin to get a little bit messy. While the show’s original creators, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, had been tapped to work on the new series in 2018, they left in 2020, citing creative differences. “Look, things happen. Productions are challenging. Unforeseen events arise. Plans have to change,” DiMartino said in an open letter, “And when those things have happened at other points during my career, I try to be like an Air Nomad and adapt. I do my best to go with the flow, no matter what obstacle is put in my way. But even an Air Nomad knows when it’s time to cut their losses and move on.”

When this matter arose, it was due to issues with the plot. The creators had expressed their excitement at the beginning of the project when the plan had been to closely adapt the original series. But apparently, working conditions proved to be less than ideal. Konietzko made an Instagram post saying, “Though I got to work with some great individuals, both on Netflix’s side and on our own small development team, the general handling of the project created what I felt was a negative and unsupportive environment.“ And DiMartino stated harshly in his open letter, “Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar has the potential to be good. It might turn out to be a show many of you end up enjoying. But what I can be certain about is that whatever version ends up on-screen, it will not be what Bryan [Konietzko] and I had envisioned or intended to make,” hinting that the plot may have gone off the rails from the original.

Despite the bad news, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee was still hopeful, posting on a livestream about how much he believed in the cast, saying Gordon Cormier was a “revelation,” Kiawentiio Tarbell was a “crafted actress,” and that Ian Ousley was “pitch-perfect” for Sokka and will “steal every scene he’s in.” And as Avatar News reports, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko are currently working on a new Avatar animated series with Paramount+ under a new framework called Avatar Studios.

Release Date

     MTV Networks

Although there is no official release date yet, those familiar with the project have said it’s likely the series will come to Netflix either by the end of this year or early in 2023.