Dallas Liu, one of the stars of the upcoming live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, has talked about his reaction to finding out he was cast as Prince Zuko. Avatar: The Last Airbender was one of the most popular shows to ever come out of Nickelodeon. The show has spawned games, video games, toys, and many more types of merchandise. Now, Paramount+ and Nickelodeon have decided to expand the world of Avatar, and will be doing so with new films and shows set in the universe.
The original Avatar: The Last Airbender released in 2005, and has been critically acclaimed and talked about ever since. It followed the character of Aang as he emerges from being frozen for many years and attempts to master the four elements to become the Avatar who will unite the nations to stop the Fire Nation. Along the way, he is joined by Sokka and Katara, members of the Water Tribe, and later Toph, an earth bender. They are constantly being trailed by Prince Zuko, a fire bender and Prince of the Fire Nation. While the show was geared towards a younger audience, it dealt with adult themes like war, free choice, and imperialism.
Now, actor Dallas Liu has talked about what it was like being cast as Zuko. In an interview with CBR, Liu talks about his reaction to finding out his casting confirmation, revealing that he cried when he got the call. Check out what he said below:
It's an honor! When I received the call that I had been cast, I was literally in tears. This is an actual dream come true, growing up watching Avatar: The Last Airbender and being able to play one of my favorite characters, it still feels unreal.
Dallas Liu has a tough job ahead of him. Zuko is one of the fan favorite characters of Avatar: The Last Airbender, so fans will undoubtedly have expectations set in their mind for him. Liu seems to be highly passionate about portraying the famous fire bender, so fans can be assured that he will bring it all to the role. Since it is unclear if the Netflix show will be a one-to-one adaptation of the original series or not, the creative team could potentially take Zuko's character in a different way than before. Since Liu and Kiawentiio, the actress playing Katara, are a bit older than their animated counterparts, many have been wondering if the live-action show will have Zuko and Katara end up in a relationship.
Liu has made his passion for playing Zuko evident in interviews since the casting announcement was made, so fans of the original series will be happy knowing that he respects the Avatar: The Last Air Bender universe and clearly wants to do the role justice. As of now, there is no official confirmation of when this live-action Netflix series will launch. Until then, fans can check out the original animated Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix.
Source: CBR