The saga of Avatar Aang, the last Air Nomad frozen in ice for a hundred years and returning to bring balance to the world, constantly draws attention. The animated series,Avatar: The Last Airbenderbecame one of the most beloved franchises in the world when it debuted onNickelodeon20 years ago. Team Aang in that time period were mainly children as they battled the Fire Nation, stopping Fire Lord Ozai from dominating the world. Now, there is a new animated film in the works, previously titledAang: The Last Airbender, which has been renamed asThe Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender. This latest part of Aang’s saga will follow Team Aang as young adults as they seek to bring peace to the world after the destructive war with the Fire Nation has ended. With some new cast members coming onboard, the casting director behind the animated film opened up about the changes to the voice cast.
With so much interest in the project, casting directorJenny Juewas asked in a Reddit AMA, why the original cast from the animated series would not be returning for their roles inThe Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender.Eric Namhas been announced as the voice for the adult version of Aang, replacingZach Tyler Eisenfrom the original television series. Jue explained that matching actors to the ethnic/racial background of their respective characters was important. The legend of Aang introduced us to four different nations with unique abilities, belief systems and cultures, among other things:the Air Nation, the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes.
Jue explains that each nation had cultural influences unique to each group, and also, times have changed. The casting director’s explanation reads:
“I told Mike and Bryan that I understood how important it was to get this right for them and for the fans~ because I’m a fan too, also my favorite IP! Since the original show was released, there’s been more emphasis in VO to match actors’ ethnic/racial background to the characters they’re portraying. ATLA is a fictional world, but there are cultural influences for each nation/kingdom, and we wanted to explore the talent from those groups.”
Who Else is in The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender’s Voice Cast?
Besides Nam as adult Aang, the animated film will seeSteven Yeunjoin the cast, returning to the franchise after voicing the first Avatar, Wan, inThe Legend of Korra. The pair is joined byDante Bascoreprising his role as Zuko, withDave Bautistaalso attached to star in a villain role in the animated film. Other cast members includeDionne Quan,Jessica MattenandRomán Zaragoza. When quizzed about what fans might expect from the film, Jue reveals hopes fans will give the new cast a chance, saying, “I can’t say much more about it the film, except that I’m really proud of this cast and I hope the other fans keep an open mind to this new iteration of our beloved characters!”
The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbenderwill be released on August 27, 2025. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates on the project, and watchAvatar: The Last AirbenderonNetflix.
The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender
Source:ComicBook
