The live-action version of Avatar: The Last Airbender is hoping to avoid the mistakes made in M. Night Shyamalan‘s version, which was a rare misstep for the innovative genre director. Essential to the success of the big-budget TV series is the casting, and Netflix have ensured they have filled the roles authentically, depending on character. At the centre is Gordon Cormier as Aang, who has an enormous amount of pressure on his young shoulders.
With shows such as this, as well as the likes of Shadow & Bone, The Witcher, The Umbrella Academy, or even Bridgerton, it really helps when you get the feel that the cast have genuine enthusiasm and affection for the source material – whether it’s a book series, comic books, or in the case of The Last Airbender, an animated series.
Upcoming star Gordon Cormier has posted a picture of himself on Instagram that suggests exactly that. He is wearing a yellow T-shirt and beanie, and sitting on a skateboard in a park – and looks like a normal modern 12 year old. However, he is recreating Aang’s iconic meditation pose.
The caption that Cormier has posted says; “Roku here I come! or maybe I will just go skateboarding and save the world later!” It is hoped that the live-action Netflix show will have nailed the casting, and will also get the tone right, not forgetting that there should be some humour involved. It pretty much goes without saying that with the vast budget and latest technology involved, it should look impressive.
You can see the adorable image that Cormier posted below;
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Some of the other key casting decisions include Dallas Liu as Zuko, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as Uncle Iroh, and Daniel Dae Kim as Fire Lord Ozai. ATLA has one of the most devoted and loyal fanbases out there, so the pressure is on to get this version right!
Find out if Avatar: The Last Airbender made our list of the best animated series.