Dante Basco (Rufio, Hook) has recently revealed that several members of the original Avatar The Last Airbender cast are planning a reunion for 2021, according to ComicBook. With COVID-19 increasing streaming activity at an unprecedented rate and the return of Avatar The Last to Netflix, the show has experienced a resurgence reigning in old viewers and new. Fans of the show are sure to appreciate the Twitter post that Basco made in regard to the reunion.
As seen in the Twitter post, Basco will be joined by Michaela Murphy (Toph), Olivia Hack (Ty Lee), Grey Griffin (Azula), Cricket Leigh (Mai), and Jennie Kwan (Suki). Basco even commented on the fan’s reaction to his Twitter post, “Yeah, I think it kind of blew up out of nowhere, which is great and unexpected,” Basco explained. “But it really goes to show you: A, the power of Netflix, and B, the power of a really good project that kind of lasted over the years now. And it’s like you said, it may be more popular than when it was first out,” according to ComicBook.
Avatar The Last Airbender premiered on Nickelodeon in February 2005 and lasted three seasons, or “Books” as they are called by the fan base. The series revolved around a mystical world rooted in a chakra-controlled manipulation of the natural elements. These elements originally included earth, fire, air, and water, but as the series progressed there were subsets of bending to be explored as well. The protagonist Aang is voiced by Zach Tyler (Lucas Nickle, The Ant Bully). Aang is an airbender, the last of his kind, and it’s up to him to stop Fire Lord Ozai (Mark Hamill, Star Wars: A New Hope) from taking over the rest of the world. The audience journey with Aang as he struggles to master the elements of water, earth, and fire in mere months so he can defeat Ozai.
The series garnered a following of loving fans and created strong emotional ties to the characters. After Netflix acquired the rights and announced their plans for making a live action series, the show witnessed an even greater following and held the number one spot in Netflix’s top 10 shows. Aang experiences a certain loss of innocence and matures throughout the series which makes the character development in this animated series stand out. After fifteen years, the show has proved that compelling narrative and characters stand the test of time. Stay tuned for further updates on the ATLA reunion, it’s sure to be a momentous occasion.