Netflix Reveals First Look At Live-Action Avatar: The Last Airbender Series

It's been a long-time coming, but Netflix has unveiled the first look at its upcoming live-action remake of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" — the show's first teaser was unveiled at the 2023 TUDUM event. Said teaser came with a confirmation of a 2024 premiere. The remake was first announced in September 2018, accompanied by a drawing of titular hero Aang and his Sky Bison Appa in an arctic landscape.

There have been bumps in the road, with series creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino leaving the project in 2020 over creative differences with Netflix. The last attempt at bringing the world of "Avatar" to live-action didn't go well either (there is no "Last Airbender" movie in Ba Sing Se). However, the series' main cast was eventually announced in September 2021, before production kicked off that October with further casting announcements trickling out in the following months.

"Avatar: The Last Airbender" is set in an East-Asian-esque fantasy world (the show's creators are big anime and wuxia fans), where people can "bend" one of the four classic elements of water, earth, fire, and air. Only one person can bend all four: the Avatar, a spirit that reincarnates in a human every generation (inspired by Hindu mythology). Aang, the latest Avatar, has to grow up quickly when his duty calls upon him to save the world from the ruthless Firebenders.

For the series' 8-episode first season, Gordon Cormier will play Aang, who awakens from a 100-year nap into an unfamiliar world. Kiawentiio and Ian Ousley will play Katara and Sokka, respectively, the Water Tribe siblings who discover Aang trapped in an Iceberg and become his companions. Dallas Liu will play Zuko, the scarred, exiled Prince of the Fire Nation who must capture the Avatar to regain his honor. Paul Sun-Hyung Lee has been cast as Iroh, Zuko's paternal uncle and voice of conscience.

There's not much to say about the teaser itself — there's no footage from the show itself revealed in its meager 30-second run time. Rather, the teaser consists of simple shots of insignias of the four Bending nations: the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation, and the Air Nomads.

Each one has a different setting and accompanying sound effect; the Water symbol is carved into ice, which can be heard crackling. The Earth symbol is displayed on mossy stone with the sound of the ground shaking. The Fire symbol is emblazed on a volcanic surface as flames hiss. The Air symbol is displayed on carved stone (perhaps in one of the Air Temples) as a gust of wind blows. The teaser cuts back and forth between these four shots, the pacing picking up along the way before the Air symbol gives way to a cloth with "Avatar: The Last Airbender" title sewn in gold. Wisps of fire are visible, representing the threat of the Fire Nation.

The teaser evokes the title sequence of the original series, which opens with a Bender of each type showing off their abilities. I was half-expecting that sequence's narration to play in this teaser:

"Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the Four Nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them. But when the world needed him most — he vanished."

Will this new take on "The Last Airbender" come when the series' fans need it most? We'll know soon enough. In the meantime, here's a first look at the live-action versions of Katara, Sokka, and Zuko.

Robert Falconer / Netflix

Robert Falconer / Netflix

Robert Falconer / Netflix

"Avatar: The Last Airbender" comes to Netflix in 2024. The original series is also streaming there and Paramount+.