Since the departure of Avatar: The Last Airbender creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko in 2020, little news surrounding Netflix's live-action adaptation has been released. That changed recently when plot and character descriptions surfaced.
Purportedly acquired by The GWW, the descriptions bear broad similarities to the overall plot of the beloved animated series, but possesses major differences when it comes to the characters. Aang still must defeat Fire Lord Ozai and save the world from the forces of the Fire Nation, but his backstory seems to have changed: "Adopted at birth, Aang has struggled with questions as to how he fits in. But his loving parents have worked hard to make him feel accepted. Aang has grown up to become generous, kind-hearted and cheerful. Aang had also been gifted with an incredible mystical power. He doesn’t really understand it, but it could be the key to saving the world from a global conflict. It’s a responsibility he’s reluctant to accept because it’ll take him away from his family, friends, and everything he knows."
For casting, Netflix is reportedly searching for a South East Asian or South Asian male around the age of 12 to play Aang. Other characters are also mentioned. The streaming giant is searching for Native American actors to play Katara and Sokka, who will be 14 and 16 years old, respectively; and an Asian male around 17 years old to play Zuko.
While each character's personality appears to mirror their animated counterparts, there are clear changes that have been made. The story of Sokka and Katara's mother, for example, no longer involves a Fire Nation raid, but a mysterious supernatural event.
The description for Zuko, meanwhile, makes no explicit mention of banishment and his central conflict is stated to be one between his militaristic upbringing and his good-hearted nature. Additionally, the context of his enmity with Aang has also changed. The description reads, "When Zuko discovers he has developed mysterious powers and is competing with Aang for a key role in their project, Zuko's father tells him to stop at nothing to win. And if he doesn't, he shouldn't bother coming home."
Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko announced their departure from the series in August 2020, suggesting that creative differences compelled them to abandon the project. DiMartino stated on his Facebook page that "Whatever version ends up on-screen, it will not be what Bryan and I had envisioned or intended to make."
Earlier this year, both creators were appointed as co-chief creative officers of Avatar Studios, a division of Nickelodeon dedicated to producing more content set in the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender and its sequel series, The Legend of Korra. Alongside the launch of Avatar Studios came the announcement of a feature-length animated film, the details of which have not yet been revealed.
Source: TheGWW