Netflix Announces 'Avatar: The Last Air Bender' Live Action

This week, Netflix unveiled the complete cast roster for their upcoming live-action rendition of Avatar: The Last Airbender in addition to new trailers and sneak peeks for shows including Bridgerton, Queen Charlotte, and You series 4.

The cast news comes after Netflix's virtual fan event, TUDUM, which took place over the weekend, and as the streaming giant continues to reveal new details about upcoming projects.

Based on the popular Nickelodeon series, Avatar: The Last Airbender takes place in a world where some people have developed 'bending' techniques, which are influenced by Chinese martial arts, that allow them to telekinetically control one of the four elements—either water, earth, fire, or air.

In the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender, there are four nations that have the names of the four classical elements: the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation, and the Air Nomads. 

Certain individuals in each country, referred to as 'benders' (waterbenders, earthbenders, firebenders, and airbenders), have the power to telekinetically manipulate and control the element associated with their nation utilizing motions derived from Chinese martial arts. 

The only person who has the capacity to bend all four elements is the 'Avatar.' The Avatar is a global arbiter whose job it is to keep peace amongst the four nations and serve as a liaison between people and spirits.

When an Avatar passes away, their spirit is reborn into a new body and will be born to parents in the following countries in a predetermined sequence known as the Avatar cycle: Fire, Air, Water, and Earth. 

The new Avatar is expected to traverse the world to master the four bending skills before starting their official job as a world peacekeeper. The 'Avatar State,' in which the Avatar temporarily possesses the abilities and knowledge of all of their previous incarnations, is a state that they can enter. 

While in the Avatar State, they are at their strongest, but if the Avatar were ever murdered, the cycle of reincarnation would be stopped, and they would no longer exist.

Popular animated series, manga, and other works have occasionally been adapted for the big screen, with Dragonball: Evolution serving as a shining example of how not to do it.

When it comes to awful live-action adaptations, Netflix is one of the main suspects; the Cowboy Bebop TV series, the Death Note TV series, and other programs have damaged the company's reputation.

Fans of the nostalgic TV show are anxious about the future of the series now that a new live-action Avatar version is in the works. On Twitter, Avatar fans have voiced their opinions about a live-action adaptation of the animated series.

The show, which is being marketed as a 'authentic version' of the Nickelodeon cartoon series, will include George Takei, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Danny Pudi, and Arden Cho from Partner Track and Amber Midthunder from Prey in the lead roles.

Water Tribe

Amber Midthunder

The sympathetic spiritual head of the Northern Water Tribe is Princess Yue.

A Martinez

Pakku, a seasoned waterbender and ferocious defender of the Northern Water Tribe's customs.

Irene Bedard

Yagoda, a kind healer who serves as an example for the female waterbenders in her tribe.

Joel Oulette

Hahn is a capable and powerful warrior who is devoted to his tribe.

Nathaniel Arcand

Chief Arnook, the renowned chief of their tribe and the father of Princess Yue

Meegwun Fairbrother

Kuruk was an earlier avatar with a troubled past.

Earth Kingdom

Arden Cho

June is a tenacious bounty hunter renowned for her brutal effectiveness.

Utkarsh Ambudkar

The ancient and capricious King Bumi reigns over Omashu in the Earth Kingdom.

Danny Pudi

The Mechanist is a strange engineer and inventor who tries his best to raise his son in a society that is racked by conflict.

Lucian-River Chauhan

Teo, The Mechanist's idealistic and accomplished son.

James Sie

Omashu's Cabbage Merchant is a patient vegetable trader.

Fire Nation

Daniel Dae Kim

The fiercely ambitious king of the Fire Nation, Fire Lord Ozai, expects that everyone live up to his impossibly high expectations. Ozai feels it is his duty to complete a war that his ancestors began, which is what motivates him to conquer and unify the world under firebender authority.

Dallas Liu

Son of Lord Ozai, Prince Zuko.

Momona Tamada

Ty Lee is one of Princess Azula's closest pals and is an animated and positive teenager.

Thalia Tran

One of Princess Azula's closest companions is Mai, an unflappable and unflappable girl who, along with Ty Lee, is a close friend.

Ruy Iskandar

First officer of Prince Zuko's ship, Lt. Jee.

Hiro Kanagawa

The grandfather of Fire Lord Ozai was Fire Lord Sozin, a vicious and ambitious former ruler of the Fire Nation.

C.S. Lee

Roku, a former Avatar from the Fire Nation who was intelligent and kind.

François Chau

The keeper of Avatar Roku's shrine and the revered Great Sage of the Fire Nation.

Ryan Mah

Second-in-command to Commander Zhao is Lt. Dang.

Spirit World

George Takei

Koh is a venerable, rapacious spirit.

Randall Duk Kim

Wan Shi Tong, also known as the Spirit of Knowledge and appearing as a huge owl.

They join the previously revealed ensemble, which also features Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as Iroh, Kiawentio as Katara, Ian Ousley as Sokka, and Gordon Cormier as Aang.

The first season of Netflix's live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series has no official release date as of yet, but as production moves forward, there is anticipation that it will arrive in early 2023.