Avatar: The Last Airbender is on its way to getting a hefty third helping after the show closed out with the second series, The Legend of Korra. The franchise is heading towards a revival, as Paramount is looking to develop a slew of projects set in the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender. However, there might be a hiccup in the first entry that the series has had in over a decade.
Avatar: The Last Airbender had a beloved cast that played the young heroes during their formative years and became synonymous with the show and its success. However, in an interview during Momocon, Michaela Jill Murphy, who voiced Toph under the name of Jessie Flower, revealed a piece of information that could leave a bad taste in the audience’s mouth, and perhaps hurt the film’s chances of wowing fans.
None of the original cast seems to be returning for the adult Gaang film
Michaela Jill Murphy talked about the casting in the as-of-now untitled Avatar film, which is supposed to follow an older Gaang, some significant time after the team faced Fire Lore Ozai, speaking at the Avatar-themed convention Momocon, as reported by Comicbook, she said:
“I think they’re going to be recasting for pretty much everything… It’s not like people are going to clamor and be like, ‘Bring back the originals!'”
Murphy’s comments refer to the fact that none of the original cast members of the show will be returning to voice the characters that they played for three seasons of the show. Paramount announced fresh casting during Cinemacon, where they also revealed that Dave Bautista will be part of the cast, playing the main antagonist, who has not yet been revealed.
Michaela Jill Murphy would love to come back to play Toph
Michaela Jill Murphy expressed her interest in the role, revealing that she would be back in a heartbeat if she were asked. The actress said:
“[The show] was three seasons and then people were like ‘Make a fourth, make a fourth!’ and they were like ‘No.’ They have a vision and they execute it the way they want to. I’m sad because I would come love to come back and do stuff but you know I’ll be cheering from the audience with everyone else!”
Given that most of the voice actors have also grown up with their characters, it would make sense to bring them back to play the roles that they know so well.
However, there are a lot of factors that need to be taken into account, especially given the fact that Paramount is banking on Avatar as an IP to make it big and be on par with Star Wars and Harry Potter. With high-profile actors like Dave Bautista in the fray, the film might have some saving grace that can keep it from being torn to shreds by fans.
