The Mechanist in Netflix's live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender has been revealed to be Danny Pudi. Netflix's version is one of many Avatar: The Last Airbender projects currently in the works. Showrunner Albert Kim has reimagined the outrageously popular Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.

In the original series, the Mechanist first appears in season 1, episode 17, "The Northern Air Temple," voiced by Rene Auberjonois. Following rumors of "air walkers," Aang and his friends set out looking for any surviving air benders, only to find the Mechanist and his son, Teo, who are part of the group that takes refuge in the Northern Air Temple. The Mechanist is a brilliant inventor and engineer. Unfortunately, this intelligence is taken advantage of as the Mechanist is forced to build deadly weapons for the Fire Nation. After Aang and his friends help to defeat this round of Fire Nation soldiers, the Mechanist and his family reappear later in the series to return the favor.

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According to Avatar News, Pudi is the latest casting announcement for Netflix's live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender, reported to play the Mechanist. The actor is best known for his role as Abed Nadir in Community, where he plays a similarly intelligent and passionate character. Pudi's evident knack for comedy bodes well for the somewhat eccentric personality of the Mechanist. The actor has also shown his range with emotional moments in Community and his other performances, which plays nicely into the storytelling balance of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

the mechanist at a desk in avatar the last airbender season 1 episode 17

Pudi is surrounded by an incredibly talented cast, with Gordon Cormier as Aang, Ian Ousley as Sokka, Kiawentiio as Katara, Dallas Liu as Zuko, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as Iroh, Elizabeth Yu as Azula, and Daniel Dae Kim as Fire Lord Ozai. These are a few revealed names from the giant cast creating Netflix's live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender. The series costume designer Farnaz Khaki-Sadigh revealed there had been over 130 actors, excluding extras and stunt performers for the series.

Following the most recent news, some fans were surprised by Pudi's casting as they feel he's too young to play the Mechanist. The 43-year-old actor's most recognizable performance was in Community, where he played a young college student from 2009-2015, and it seems that this image has stuck with him. Despite this, the response to this casting news has been positive, with audiences eager to see how Pudi plays the zealous Mechanist in Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender.

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Source: Avatar News