The Avatar Legends brand is no stranger to LGBT+ romance, so it comes as no shock that Avatar: Seven Havens has decided to include some diverse representation as well. According to The Hollywood Reporter, show star Major Curda (Riverdale, Atypical), who voices Jae, says Avatar: Seven Haven’s latest gay romance is just a natural part of the show.
Avatar: Seven Havens, which premiered today, quickly established that Curda’s Jae is gay man with a boyfriend named Datu — who’s voiced by Topher Ngo (The Boyfriend, Ninenteen to Twenty). The two share a brief peck on the cheek in “Chapter Three: The Order” and have a natural chemistry together.
Curda shared his excitement with the New York Comic Con attendees. “There has been some wonderful queer representation in Avatar Legends and some of the graphic novels. But it’s really exciting because of how it’s not a huge deal,” Curda said. “Jae is a character. Here is this new character Datu — they’re boyfriend[s]. It’s just such a wonderful exemplification of love is love.”
Avatar has long been an ally to the LGBT+ cause. Back in 2014, The Legend of Korra became a major milestone in LGBT+ representation when it concluded with Korra and Asami coming out as bisexual and beginning to date. It was one of the first major children’s animated series to do so. That was done implicitly, however. Fans had to wait for the show’s comic book continuation, Turf Wars, to see Korra and Asami kiss and openly date. The show itself could not explicitly confirm the romance.
Various other LGBT+ characters have appeared throughout the franchise since then, appearing in comic books, novels, and even the tabletop RPG. The fact that Jae can be openly gay in this series is a sign of the progress that has been made in LGBT+ representation since The Legend of Korra went off the air.