Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender, a live-action adaptation that has been waiting in the wings for several years, is finally getting off the ground with the latest casting news. And, the actor who is playing the troubled Prince Zuko has actually also bagged a role in an upcoming Marvel movie.
Remember that awful The Last Airbender film from director M. Night Shyamalan? Me neither. After the catastrophic reception of that adaptation, Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures abandoned the planned trilogy and it was generally accepted that live-action simply doesn't do the rich story and world of the anime justice. As a result, the news that Netflix had intentions to reboot the series in live-action split the opinions of fans. Some saw it as a second chance to enliven the classic characters and bring the story to new audiences, and others recalled the many mistakes that Shyamalan's film had made with a wince.
Yeah, I know that this isn't the same Avatar. However, it's still stunning to me that there's going to be a game set on Pandora in the year 2022. And Ubisoft is developing it. Like, this feels like it's come from a portal from another universe.
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Check out the trailer below if you're someone who subscribes to that whole "seeing is believing" shtick.
Well, it's happening, and after holdups due to the pandemic and the departure of the original creators from the project, the adaptation has finally gotten some good news. Gordon Cormier, Kiawentiio, Ian Ousley and Dallas Liu have been cast as the characters of Aang, Katara, Sokka and Zuko and fans are cautiously optimistic that Netflix is on the right lines with its new series. Furthermore, the actors are children and teenagers of colour, which is representative of the ages and races of the characters, adding a layer of accuracy that The Last Airbender glossed over.
Dallas Liu is also on a roll, scoring the role of the "skilled firebender and the intense and guarded Crown Prince of the Fire Nation" and a part in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The character he plays in the upcoming movie is unannounced at the moment but it's one incredible trajectory for the young actor.
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Liu has been seen in PEN15 as Shuji Ishii-Peters, Players as Taylor King, and even a young Bi Han in the prequel series Mortal Kombat: Legacy. Joining Cormier, Kiawentiio and Ousley, I've got to say that I am intrigued about the adaptation as these castings are a surefire step in the right direction.
Featured Image Credit: Nickelodeon Animation Studios, Marvel Studios