Netflix announces cast for live-action series Avatar: The Last Airbender

It’s been a while since we’ve heard any news about Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, but they’ve finally revealed some details about the casting of some of the main characters. The show will star Gordon Cormier (The Stand) as Aang, Kiawentiio (Beans) as Katara, Ian Owsley (13 Reasons Why) as Sokka, and Dallas Liu (Shang-Chi) as Zuko.

First announced in 2018, the live-action adaptation hit some snags last year when Avatar creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko exited the project over creative differences with Netflix. “I realize I can’t control the creative direction of the show, but I can control how I respond,” DiMartino wrote in a blog post at the time, adding that “Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar has the potential to be great… but I can be certain that whichever version ultimately makes it to the screen will not be the one Brian and I envisioned or intended to make.”

Taking over as executive producer is Albert Kim (Sleepy Hollow, Nikita), who posted a blog about the making of the second live-action installment in the series, following Night Shyamalan's 2010 film. "The more I think about it, the more intrigued I become," Kim writes. "VFX technology has advanced to the point where live-action can not only faithfully reproduce what was in the animation, but also bring a rich new visual dimension to the fantastical world. We will be able to see the various magical powers being demonstrated in the film in a way that is more realistic and stunning than ever before."

He also spoke specifically about the cast, noting that "the live-action version will set a new benchmark in graphics and bring in a whole new generation of fans. It's an opportunity to show Asian and indigenous cultures more vividly. Not just in a cartoon, but in a real world that really exists, very similar to the world we live in."

There’s no word yet on when the new show will premiere on Netflix.