

Some suspected it had something to do with the network's original promise to cast all non-white actors for the principal roles, and fans even called to boycott the series back in August 2020. We'll probably never know what exactly was the final straw for them, but it all sounds pretty damning, especially for a company like Netflix, which has traditionally kept very hands-off of its own productions. Original series creators DiMartino and Konietzko were originally going to executive produce the show, but in August 2020 both announced that they had left the project in June, citing creative differences with Netflix and vague reneged promises. In a series of casting descriptions acquired by entertainment site The GWW, it sounds like a lot of character backstory could be changed, in particular adding in an adoption narrative to Aang's childhood and having Fire Lord Ozai pit him and Zuko against each other for some "project." It all sounds sort of fake and bad, and nothing has been confirmed by Netflix, so hopefully this is just one of those rumors that eventually fades away. Aang will stay pretty much the same at 12. The Illuminerdi reported (though this has not been confirmed) in February 2021 that in this version, Katara would be the older sibling at 16, and her brother Sokka would be 14. Basco also reprised his role for Avatar's sequel series The Legend of Korra, but obviously won't be playing Zuko in the remake. Konietzko did reveal on his Instagram that he was looking for a way to involve Dante Basco, one of the most recognizable voice actors in the game who played Zuko in the original show, in the remake somehow.

It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance to build upon everyone's great work on the original animated series and go even deeper into the characters, story, action, and world-building." "We can't wait to realize Aang's world as cinematically as we always imagined it to be, and with a culturally appropriate, non-whitewashed cast. Original series co-creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko were very clear about this in a statement from 2018: The show is set in a conglomerate world built upon East Asian, New World, and Inuit influences-none of which contain any white people.
IS THERE GOING TO BE A NEW AVATAR SERIES MOVIE
Shyamalan's movie was derided not just because it was bad, but because the majority of the main cast was white. In terms of casting, Netflix has been especially looking out for people of color. (Sorta.) Netflix has also announced that Paul Sun-Hyung Lee ( Kim's Convenience, The Mandalorian) will be playing Prince Zuko's Uncle Iroh (the best character), Lim Kay Siu ( Anna and the King, Sleep with Me) will play Aang's Air Nomad mentor Gyatso, and Ken Leung ( Lost, Industry) will play the Fire Nation's violent Commander Zhao. In another extremely exciting announcement, superstar Daniel Dae Kim ( Lost, Hawaii Five-0) has been cast as the villainous and ruthless firebender conqueror Fire Lord Ozai, so it looks like we're going to have to root for the bad guys this time, whoops. This announcement is exciting not only because it looks like the show won't be aging up the main characters too much, but also because this casting is just about the most inclusive we could hope for. Great news!! The first four members of the cast were officially announced in August 2021: Gordon Cormier will be playing Aang, Kiawentiio is playing Katara, Ian Ousley is Sokka, and Dallas Liu is Prince Zuko. The show may follow this format, releasing three seasons that follow the events of the original, maybe with longer episodes and skipping over the weaker one-shots ("The Great Divide," anyone?). The original series was separated into three seasons, or "books," of 20 episodes each.

In the first episode, waterbender Katara and her brother Sokka discover the missing Avatar, the only surviving airbender named Aang, in suspended animation in an iceberg, and help him on his journey to learn the rest of the elements and defeat the Firelord.

100 years before the series begins, the Fire Nation attacked the other three, subduing the Air Nomads and one of the Water Tribes, and began a decades-long war after the Avatar vanished. Only the Avatar, a reincarnated human, could master all four elements and keep the balance of the world. The original Nickelodeon show was set in the fictional world of the Four Nations, each corresponding to a certain classical element, and each home to "benders," those who could psychokinetically manipulate one of those elements using martial arts.
