The cast of Avatar: The Last Airbender is reuniting for a special digital event. One of the most popular and critically celebrated cartoons of the past twenty years, Avatar hit a new peak in popularity in 2020 after it began streaming again on Netflix. Its sequel series, The Legend of Korra, followed shortly after, sparking a massive resurgence for both shows over the summer.
Though it’s been off the air for over a decade, Avatar: The Last Airbender has remained incredibly popular. Its layered narratives combine compellingly simple stories with more complex thematic content, prompting many fans to return to the show again and again as they’ve gotten older. The show’s ensemble cast is another big part of its continued success. Avatar’s young voice actors' talent and chemistry have been praised by many for bringing to life iconic characters like Prince Zuko, Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph.
Now, many of those stars are coming back together to talk about their time on the show and its ongoing legacy. Dante Basco, the voice of Zuko on the show, announced the cast reunion on Twitter. The digital event will run through StageIt on January 9, 2021, at 3:00 PM PST, and tickets are already on sale. The assembled group of actors includes Basco, Jack De Sena (Sokka), Cricket Leigh (Mai), Michaela Murphy (Toph, credited as Jessie Flower), Grey Griffin (Azula, credited as Grey DeLisle), and Olivia Hack (Ty Lee), with some additional guests yet to be announced.
Many of Avatar’s stars have remained actively involved in the world of the show long after the final season ended. Basco and Griffin both voiced prominent characters on The Legend of Korra. De Sena currently voices the protagonist of Netflix’s The Dragon Prince – a similar show heavily inspired by Avatar. The most notable absences from the list of names are Zach Tyler Eisen (Aang) and Mae Whitman (Katara). Eisen largely stepped away from acting after his childhood work on projects like Avatar. Whitman has built a prolific live-action career in Avatar's wake, with significant roles in films like The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and shows like Good Girls. Hopefully, one or both of them will be added to the list by January 9th.
While the old cast gathers to celebrate Avatar: The Last Airbender’s past, the series’ future is a bit uncertain. Netflix’s planned live-action adaptation has hit limbo after the dramatic departures of original show creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino. Avatar comics and novels are still being released to build out the show's world, but it should be interesting to see what else the future has in store for Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Source: Dante Basco