Shyamalan's movie was derided not just because it was bad, but because the majority of the main cast was white.

In terms of casting, Netflix has been especially looking out for people of color. (Sorta.) Netflix has also announced that Paul Sun-Hyung Lee ( Kim's Convenience, The Mandalorian) will be playing Prince Zuko's Uncle Iroh (the best character), Lim Kay Siu ( Anna and the King, Sleep with Me) will play Aang's Air Nomad mentor Gyatso, and Ken Leung ( Lost, Industry) will play the Fire Nation's violent Commander Zhao. In another extremely exciting announcement, superstar Daniel Dae Kim ( Lost, Hawaii Five-0) has been cast as the villainous and ruthless firebender conqueror Fire Lord Ozai, so it looks like we're going to have to root for the bad guys this time, whoops. This announcement is exciting not only because it looks like the show won't be aging up the main characters too much, but also because this casting is just about the most inclusive we could hope for. Great news!! The first four members of the cast were officially announced in August 2021: Gordon Cormier will be playing Aang, Kiawentiio is playing Katara, Ian Ousley is Sokka, and Dallas Liu is Prince Zuko.

The show may follow this format, releasing three seasons that follow the events of the original, maybe with longer episodes and skipping over the weaker one-shots ('The Great Divide,' anyone?). The original series was separated into three seasons, or 'books,' of 20 episodes each.

In the first episode, waterbender Katara and her brother Sokka discover the missing Avatar, the only surviving airbender named Aang, in suspended animation in an iceberg, and help him on his journey to learn the rest of the elements and defeat the Firelord. 100 years before the series begins, the Fire Nation attacked the other three, subduing the Air Nomads and one of the Water Tribes, and began a decades-long war after the Avatar vanished. Only the Avatar, a reincarnated human, could master all four elements and keep the balance of the world. The original Nickelodeon show was set in the fictional world of the Four Nations, each corresponding to a certain classical element, and each home to 'benders,' those who could psychokinetically manipulate one of those elements using martial arts.

Netflix makes new avatar series