Netflix is going forward with its live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series—regardless of whether fans and the original creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko want it to or not. The streaming giant announced the primary cast back in August, and now we know which actors will play three of the supporting characters, too.
Fan-favorite and tea-loving Uncle Iroh will be played by Kim’s Convenience star Paul Sun-Hyung Lee. It’s a perfect fit for Zuko’s endearing uncle, since, despite the show’s writing flaws towards the end, Sun-Hyung Lee managed to always make his Kim’s Convenience character Mr. Kim charming.
Lim Kay Siu, who had roles in Anna And The King and Nightwatch, will play Aang’s former mentor Gyatso. Ken Leung, who played Admiral Statura in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Jarin in Old, will take on the role of villainous Fire Nation military officer Zhao, who becomes one of Aang’s first enemies.
Netflix previously announced that Gordon Cormier will play Aang, Kiawentiio will be Katara, Ian Ousley is Sokka, Dallas Liu plays Zuko, and Daniel Dae Kim will be Fire Lord Ozai.
The streaming service also announced that the series began production and is being filmed in a “new, custom-built facility using some of the same cutting-edge technology that was used for Netflix’s The Midnight Sky and 1899, and Disney’s The Mandalorian.”
The series’ showrunner Albert Kim released a statement, saying, “We’re thrilled to start production on this incredible project, and we’re especially excited to work with the technology-benders at PXO to create the wondrous world of Avatar: The Last Airbender using the most advanced techniques available to filmmakers anywhere in the world.”
There’s no word yet on when Netflix anticipates the series to premiere, though it’s rumored to be slated for a 2022 release.