'Avatar: The Last Airbender' finally gets the cast it deserves

The four main leads in Avatar: The Last Airbender are, from left: Gordon Cormier,
Kiawentiio, Ian Ousley and Dallas Liu. 

The latest iteration of Avatar: The Last Airbender, will return to its roots and cast Asian American and Native American actors in the live-action adaptation of the popular children's series.

Controversy marred the 2010 live-action movie that recast the Asian characters with non-Asian actors. That misguided project, directed by M Night Shymalan, created a huge uproar among fans of the series and advocates for representation in Hollywood productions.

The new adaptation focused on authenticity to the characters' cultures. Avatar: The Last Airbender, commonly referred to as ATLA, takes place in a world of four kingdoms of Water, Earth, Fire and Air, which are based on Inuit, Chinese, Japanese and Tibetan cultures respectively.

Writer and producer Albert Kim, (Sleepy Hollow and Nikita), serves as showrunner and executive producer for the new series. In regards to the show’s emphasis on representation, Kim stresses, “This was a chance to showcase Asian and Indigenous characters as living, breathing people. Not just in a cartoon, but in a world that truly exists, very similar to the one we live in.”

The four main leads for Netflix live-action series are: Gordon Cormier, Kiawentiio, Ian Ousley, and Dallas Liu. Cormier will star as Aang, with Kiawentiio set to play Katara and Ousley will play Sokka. Liu's casting as Zuko puts to rest the rumors that Dante Basco, who voiced the Zuko character in the animated series, would reprise the role  in the live-action production.

Netflix has rounded out the cast of its upcoming live-action adaptation of “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” with 20 new additions including George Takei, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Arden Cho and Danny Pudi, according to Variety.

Avatar: The Last Airbender has been a boon for AANHPI and Native American actors. Among those playing characters in the series are scores of actors, including:

• Daniel Dae Kim (Lost, Hawaii Five-O) will play Fire Lord Ozai, the ruthlessly driven leader of the Fire Nation who demands that everyone live up to his impossible standards, especially his teenage son, Prince Zuko 

• Amber Midthunder (“Prey,” “Roswell”) as Princess Yue, the compassionate spiritual leader of the Northern Water Tribe; A Martinez (“Cowboy Bebop,” “Ambulance”) as Pakku, the veteran waterbending master of the Northern Water Tribe and a fierce defender of their traditions; 

• Irene Bedard (“Pocahontas,” “The Stand”) as Yagoda, an empathetic healer who serves as a role model for her tribe’s female waterbenders; 

• Joel Oulette (“Trickster,” “Ruby and the Well”) as Hahn, a strong and skilled warrior with an unwavering loyalty to his tribe; Nathaniel Arcand (“Heartland,” “FBI: Most Wanted”) as Chief Arnook, father to Princess Yue and the respected leader of their tribe; and 

• Meegwun Fairbrother (“Burden of Truth,” “Mohawk Girls”) as Avatar Kuruk, a previous Avatar with a haunted past.

Unlike the original animated series, the Netflix live-action production will make the use of real actors and have a computer generate them into lifelike drawn reproductions.

The 2010 production directed by Indian American M Night Shyamalan was roundly criticized not only for its casting miscues but also the film's poor production value.

“This was a great opportunity to create new Asian American stars,’’ fumed Guy Aoki, founding president of the Los Angeles-based Media Action Network for Asian Americans, which urged a movie boycott for the first time in the organization’s 18-year existence. “When you have ready-made material that has Asian or Asian American people in it, and they still cast white people in it, that’s the last straw.’’

"To take this incredibly loved children's series, and really distort not only the ethnicity of the individual characters but the message of acceptance and cultural diversity that the original series advocated, is a huge blow," complained Michael Le of Racebending.com, a fan site of the series and advocate for representation in film.

After attending a Paramount screening meant to assuage the movie's critics, Le described the film to the Globe as “absolutely atrocious,’’ adding: “Even ignoring the whitewashing, the film was a complete disaster.’’ He also called for a boycott of the movie.

“Airbender is not an isolated case,’’ he added. “This kind of whitewashing goes on all the time. As an Asian-American growing up, it was very hard for me to find heroes I could look up to. That experience of seeing my face removed from entertainment, it definitely has an impact on you growing up.’’

Netflix has not announced the release date for Avatar: The Last Airbender but it is expected that the premiere will be in 2023. However, perhaps to build up anticipation for the new live-action 8-episode series, the streaming network has re-released the animated series to a pique the interest of a new generation of viewers and to reignite the passion of the now-adult fans who grew watching the original program.

"We'll be expanding and growing the world, and there will be surprises for existing fans and those new to the tale. But throughout this process, our byword has been 'authenticity,' To the story. To the characters. To the cultural influences.," said writer/showrunner Lim.

"Authenticity is what keeps us going, both in front of the camera and behind it, which is why we've assembled a team unlike any seen before — a group of talented and passionate artists who are working around the clock to bring this rich and incredibly beautiful world to life."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.