Avatar: The Last Airbender | What is Netflix's live-action reboot about, who is cast in it and when is it out?

Will Netflix’s live-action reboot of the beloved animated series “Avatar: The Last Airbender” avoid the pitfalls that its last live-action attempt succumbed to? That’s what fans of

Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko’s animated masterpiece hope will occur when the series arrives on Netflix in the UK later this week.

The series follows our hero in question,  Aang, the "Avatar" and the last living Airbender, who is the bridge between the mortal and spirit worlds, and the only one capable of bending all four of the elements instead of just one. The Avatar maintains the balance of the world and nature to bring peace, and Aang is now faced with the responsibility of ending the ambitions of the militaristic Fire Nation to conquer the world.

The animated series debuted on Nickelodeon in 2005 and received near universal acclaim upon its release, with viewerships for each episode on average around 1 million people, with its most-viewed episode bringing in a stunning 5.6 million viewers. But it was a big-screen adaptation of the series by M. Night Shyamalan which dimmed the otherwise fantastic goodwill the series created. 

The movie received heavy criticism from both fans and critics, with several publications labelling it as one of the worst films of all time. Despite being produced on a $150 million budget, the movie only grossed $319.7 million worldwide. “The Last Airbender” was supposed to be the first of a trilogy of films based on the three seasons of the series. However, due to its disappointing box office performance and negative reviews, the planned trilogy was ultimately abandoned.

This is where Netflix stepped in - and owing to the success of their previous anime adaptation, “One Piece” in 2023, we hopefully are in some steady hands this time around - with all respect to M. Night of course.

What is “Avatar: The Last Airbender” about?

“Water. Earth. Fire. Air. The four nations once lived in harmony, with the Avatar, master of all four elements, keeping peace between them. But everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked and wiped out the Air Nomads, the first step taken by the firebenders towards conquering the world. With the current incarnation of the Avatar yet to emerge, the world has lost hope. But like a light in the darkness, hope springs forth when Aang (Gordon Cormier), a young Air Nomad — and the last of his kind — reawakens to take his rightful place as the next Avatar.” 

“Alongside his newfound friends Sokka (Ian Ousley) and Katara (Kiawentiio), siblings and members of the Southern Water Tribe, Aang embarks on a fantastical, action-packed quest to save the world and fight back against the fearsome onslaught of Fire Lord Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim). But with a driven Crown Prince Zuko (Dallas Liu) determined to capture them, it won’t be an easy task. They’ll need the help of the many allies and colourful characters they meet along the way.”

Who stars in Netflix’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender”?

According to both Netflix’s press release and IMDB, the following performers have been cast in either main or recurring roles for “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”

Main cast

• Gordon Cormier as Avatar Aang
• Kiawentiio as Katara
• Ian Ousley as Sokka
• Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as Uncle Iroh
• Elizabeth Yu as Princess Azula
• Daniel Dae Kim as Fire Lord Ozai

Recurring cast

• Ken Leung as Commander Zhao
• Lim Kay Siu as Gyatso
• A Martinez as Pakku
• Amber Midthunder as Princess Yue
• Tamlyn Tomita as Yukari
• Casey Camp-Horinek as Gran Gran
• C. S. Lee as Avatar Roku
• Danny Pudi as The Mechanist
• James Sie as the Cabbage Merchant
• Rainbow Dickerson as Kya
• Joel Montgrand as Hakoda
• Arden Cho as June
• Momona Tamada as Ty Lee
• Thalia Tran as Mai
• Nathaniel Arcand as Arnook
• Irene Bedard as Yagoda
• Ryan Mah as Lieutenant Dang

• François Chau as the Great Sage
• Sebastian Amoruso as Jet
• Hiro Kanagawa as Fire Lord Sozin
• George Takei as Koh the Face Stealer
• Randall Duk Kim as Wan Shi Tong
• Lucian-River Chauhan as Teo
• Ruy Iskandar as Lieutenant Jee
• Taylor Lam Wright as the Duke
• Wes Valarao as Smellerbee
• Nathaniel Kong as Longshot

Will the Netflix series be the same as the animated series “Avatar: The Last Airbender?”

While there have been some changes to the live-action remake compared to the original animated series, such as a change in some of the language used by Sokka, it would appear that the new Netflix series will remain faithful to the beloved animated classic regarding its overall themes. Where the show might deviate with plot points however remains to be seen once it’s arrived on the streaming giant.

When is “Avatar: The Last Airbender” released on Netflix?

“Avatar: The Last Airbender” arrives on Netflix in the United Kingdom on February 22 2024 at 8am.