Avatar: The Last Airbender has gone from a Nickelodeon experiment to one of the most enduring animated fantasy series of all time. After 61 episodes, the saga continued with The Legend of Korra, an unwatchable M. Night Shyamalan adaptation, a very watchable live-action Netflix adaptation, and now a new sequel series called Avatar: Seven Havens.
The original story of Aang, Katara, and the rest will also continue in a sequel movie made to celebrate The Last Airbender’s 20th anniversary. But a key character will sound a lot different, and you’ll have to avoid thinking too hard about its impact on continuity.
IGN confirmed with Avatar creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko that firebender Zuko, originally voiced by Dante Basco, will be played by Steven Yeun in the upcoming movie The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender. But Yeun already has a role in the franchise, having voiced Wan, the first Avatar, in three episodes of The Legend of Korra. “We loved working with him, and we're excited to have him back in the universe,” Konietzko said.
That’s not the only wrinkle here. Dante Basco also appeared in Legend of Korra as Zuko’s grandson, Iroh. Iroh was about the same age as Zuko will be in The Legend of Aang, so wouldn’t it make sense to stick with the same actor?
That said, many of The Legend of Aang’s other roles have also been recast. Eric Nam is now playing Aang instead of Zach Tyler Eisen, and Jessica Matten is playing Katara instead of Mae Whitman. But Zuko is a fan-favorite character thanks to his all-time great redemption story, and Basco’s voice still suits Zuko’s character. It’s hard to see a reason not to keep him.
Maybe The Legend of Aang is looking to distinguish itself from the original series, but recasting roles can turn characters into entirely different people, which undercuts the appeal of nostalgia to now-adult fans. Hopefully, seeing Aang and his buddies again will be enough to keep everyone interested.
