As the cast of Netflix’s upcoming live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender continues to grow, fan-favorite Greg Baldwin (Uncle Iroh) gives his blessing. Originally an animated series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko for Nickelodeon, Netflix is taking the franchise in a new direction. Following the continued wave of popularity following the series being added to Netflix, the streamer has decided to give the series a live-action adaptation.
After the adaptation was first announced back in 2018, fans were left waiting a long time for updates, some of which didn’t instill much confidence in the remake. The biggest concern came when DiMartino and Konietzko left the project due to creative differences. While this news left fans with many concerns, Netflix continued to develop the project and announced the main cast back in August. This cast included Gordon Cormier (Aang), Kiawentiio Tarbell (Katara), Ian Ousley (Sokka), and Dallas Liu (Zuko), which proved Netflix would at least have a more accurate and diverse cast than that of the 2010 remake.
After Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (Kim’s Convenience) was cast as Uncle Iroh, fans were touched to see Baldwin’s response to the news. Baldwin, who lent his voice to the role of Iroh in the animated series, reached out to his successor on Twitter. In the tweet, he shares a touching quote from his character in the series before promptly welcoming Lee to the role and inviting him to “share a cup of jasmine tea sometime.” Check out the original tweet below:
With a sizable number of fans left apprehensive at the idea of yet another live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender after the less-than-ideal reception the 2010 movie faced, more and more are seeming to warm up to the idea online as the cast continues to grow. The Kim’s Convenience star taking over Iroh’s role has been an especially big hit, not only with Baldwin but with many in the Twittersphere maintaining that this was the casting choice that will convince naysayers to give the new series a chance. Lee, however, has been singing praise to his younger co-stars online and in interviews, asserting that their performances are going to make the show truly special for a whole new generation of viewers.
Despite all the pressure to appeal to nostalgic long-time fans of the original series while also capturing something entirely new on-screen, Netflix seems to have done right by fans with the new talent on board. It is clear that, while some things are better off without a remake, the upcoming adaptation has a real opportunity to right the glaring wrongs that fans and critics alike took issue with in M. Night Shyamalan’s Avatar movie. Passing on the torch to a new team of talented actors might be exactly what Avatar: The Last Airbender needs to elevate the show to a new level, one where young people can look at their favorite characters and see themselves.
Source: Greg Baldwin