The casting news for Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender should ease concerned fans. Hopes for the project significantly dipped when original creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko left the live-action adaptation; many feared that DiMartino and Konietzko's exit indicated that the new version would not be faithful to the much-loved animated TV series. Thankfully, the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender cast hints that Netflix will be honoring its source material.
Fans of Avatar: TLA have reason to be concerned, after having been burned by M. Night Shyamalan's infamous live-action adaptation. Not only was the movie a box office disappointment, but it was also controversial because it featured white actors in roles meant for people of color. Furthermore, some deem the animation the perfect show and believe it shouldn’t be touched at all, as changes are inevitable in any adaptation. Without any original creators present to keep production on track, the fear is the end result will be something unrecognizable and misrepresentative of a story that holds significance for many.
The main cast for Netflix's Avatar: TLA suggests the series will follow the original show. The Avatar cast appears to be respecting the characters' ages, ethnicities, and overall archetypes. This means the current Netflix team is actually paying attention to the series' details (and, possibly, learning from Shyamalan's mistakes); even though DiMartino, Konietzko, and original head writer Aaron Ehasz (who is busy with Netflix's much-praised The Dragon Prince) will be absent, the cast list excitingly suggests Netflix is respecting the source material.
Getting the main characters right in the live-action Avatar: TLA adaptation is very important because they are the first foundational sign regarding how good the rest of the show will be. Those core four (Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Zuko) must be represented correctly in order to win over fans. Not only do the young actors cast for Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender look remarkably like their cartoon counterparts, their ages and ethnicities actually match the originals — disproving the rumors that the child cast would be significantly aged up. As an added bonus, Netflix cast actors with industry experience. Gordon Cormier (Aang) has been in other Netflix shows such as Lost in Space and Two Sentence Horror Stories. Kiawentiio Tarbell (Katara) had the starring role in the film Beans. Ian Ousley (Sokka) has had many roles, including memorable parts in 13 Reasons Why and Young Sheldon. Finally, Dallas Liu (Zuko) appears in the upcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
DiMartino and Konietzko being absent from the project is a red flag, especially after Shyamalan's Last Airbender movie had so many problems — especially the reports that the director infamously refused to listen to the two creators. Still, Netflix's adaptation remains promising. The project has already avoided the fatal flaw in Shyamalan's version, and the statement that new head writer Albert Kim released [via Twitter] on the same day as the cast announcement is also encouraging, suggesting he understands and is dedicated to the original story. But only time will tell regarding the success of the Netflix show. At least thanks to Avatar: The Last Airbender's casting news, fans have a reason to not give up on the Netflix adaptation just yet.