By Lukas Shayo Published 1 minute ago
New behind-the-scenes images from Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender reveal Gordon Cormier goofing off the same way Aang does.
Summary
- Cormier embodies Aang in Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender effortlessly, capturing his playful spirit on and off set.
- Netflix's adaptation of Avatar delivers a faithful adaptation with slightly darker tones.
- The future of Aang's journey in season 2 will see Cormier's performance evolve with his character.
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Behind-the-scenes images from the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender show prove that Netflix picked the right actor to play Aang. The recently-released show is intended to be a faithful adaptation of the cartoon and adapts much of Avatar Book 1. The cast features Gordon Cormier as Aang, Kiawentiio as Katara, Ian Ousley as Sokka, and Daniel Dae Kim as Ozai, among other leading actors to fill the ensemble cast.
Getting the Avatar: The Last Airbender cast right was crucial to the show's success, and Cormier easily took to his role. The official avatarnetflix Instagram account revealed in some behind-the-scenes images that Cormier is just like Aang. Check out the post below:
In the images, Cormier is playing around on set the same way that Aang might have. He wears different Zuko's mask, disguises himself with a headdress, jokes around with other members of the cast, and pretends to work on classic airbending techniques. It's everything that Aang would be doing in the real world and is proof that Cormier is just like him.
Gordon Cormier Played Aang Perfectly
Custom Image made by Lewis Glazebrook
As with any adaptation, there were some major changes between the original show and Netflix's version. As faithful as Netflix tried to make the live-action depiction, the decision to begin the show with the Air Nomad genocide made for a darker and more serious tone. While still keeping Aang's joyful side, Cormier leaned into that element by offering a hesitant and more mournful Aang.
Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 is likely to reveal more of Aang's struggles, but Cormier's version of the character is one who typically always feels the fear of being the Avatar. Instead of leaning into moments of rage in only short increments, Cormier's fears and regret are constantly seen throughout his performance. Even when rallying others, he typically has an undercurrent of hesitation as he strains with the idea of being the Avatar. That's why he never offers to go penguin sledding with his friends in episode 1.
The live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender show is available for streaming on Netflix.
Future seasons are likely to see Aang embrace his role as the Avatar much more than the season 1 version of the character. As Aang becomes more confident, Cormier's performance will likely need to adjust to compensate for his journey. For now, however, Cormier has played the perfect live-action Aang for the story that Netflix is trying to tell. Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 is not yet confirmed, but any follow-up will surely bring back Cormier's Aang.
Source: Netflix / Instagram
