Jayden Zhang (live-action airbender, young Shang-Chi) wins bronze medal for Canada at the World Kungfu Championships!
You read that right, the Avatar cast continues to find new ways to be ELITE.
Jayden Zhang, who will play an airbender in the 2024 live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series and plays young Shang-Chi in the MCU, has just won a bronze medal for Canada at the World Kungfu Championships in Emeishan, China!
The host city is known for a pretty cool mountaintop temple… Safe to say this kid is a real-life airbender! Way to go Jayden!
(The bald picture is from a Shang-Chi award win at the same time as when he was filming ATLA S1, flex…)
Avatar Szeto to star in next Chronicles of the Avatar books?
(Art by Avatar News)
Avatar Szeto, the fire Avatar before Yangchen, Kuruk, Kyoshi, Roku, Aang, and Korra, could be the main character of the next Chronicles of the Avatar novels.
In a recent interview with Nerds of Color, Chronicles of the Avatar writer F. C. Yee said he doesn’t know if he’ll be writing more books after Kyoshi and Yangchen, but “if he had his choice of what Avatar to tackle next, he named Avatar Szeto as a possible candidate.” 👀🔥
F. C. Yee introduced Avatar Szeto’s backstory in the Kyoshi books, revealing that he was born in a time of crisis in the Fire Nation due to natural disasters, plagues, and clan conflict. Instead of using his divine position as Avatar to enforce his rule, he joined the Fire Nation government as an entry-level bureaucrat and worked his way up with no special privileges until he was an advisor to the Fire Lord– that’s why he has that vizier-like hat in the few glimpses of him we see in Aang and Korra’s eras.
But as we all know, there’s more to every Avatar than their legacy, and in the Yangchen books we learn that Szeto’s life was secretly messy and “a library of intrigue in the realm of spycraft and trickery”.
His name comes from the Chinese Han dynasty title 司徒 (Sītú) meaning “Minister over the Masses”.
Avatar at SDCC 2023
Here’s your rundown of the Avatar franchise’s presence at San Diego Comic-Con this year:
👉 [CANCELLED] Avatar: Braving the Elements—Live! on Thursday July 20th at 1pm!
The Braving the Elements panel this year has been ***cancelled*** last minute due to the SAG-AFTRA strike meaning that hosts Janet Varney (the voice of Korra) and Dante Basco (the voice of Zuko) aren’t attending SDCC.
This is the panel that Avatar Studios revealed their first animated movie, the adult Team Avatar one, at last year; we don’t know what would have been revealed, if anything, this year.
It’s possible the soundtrack that was just announced today completely out of the blue was supposed to be revealed at this panel.
👉 Water, Earth, Fire, Air: Continuing the Avatar Legacy on Saturday, July 22nd at 12:30pm!
This year’s publishing panel is still on. This is where we could get news on novels, comics, etc.
This is the panel that the Azula in the Spirit Temple solo graphic novel was announced at last year, as well as the new Korra comic trilogy/trio, the first of which is supposed to be focused on Mako. This SDCC, we’re hoping that Mako comic is fully revealed, as well as maybe preview pages for Azula, and an even longer shot would be finding out who the next ATLA and/or TLOK comics will be about (Azula/Mai/Ty Lee; Mako/Bolin/Asami??)
It’s also possible with The Legacy of Yangchen just having coming out this week that the next Chronicles of the Avatar novel will be announced, revealing which Avatar the next books will be about, but they haven’t previously had news at comic cons so it’s not a sure deal.
👉 Mattel ATLA collector set
Mattel is releasing an Avatar: The Last Airbender collector set on the Barbie movie’s release date this Friday!
It will be available at the Mattel Creations booth, check out more info here.
👉 The Legacy of Yangchen exclusive edition
An exclusive edition of The Legacy of Yangchen is available at booth 1216!
That’s it as far as I know. It’s a pretty low-key SDCC this year across the industry due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. For Avatar, keep an eye out for potential publishing news and don’t have any expectations beyond that.
The official Avatar: The Last Airbender soundtrack is finally being released this year on digital and vinyl!
After 15 long years, the much anticipated official ATLA soundtrack release is finally happening!
Check out the official announcement from Animation Magazine:
Nickelodeon and Republic Records: Kids & Family announced the long-awaited release of Avatar: The Last Airbender – Book 1: Water (Music from the Animated Series) on digital and vinyl. The album, featuring an updated and re-recorded score from the first season of the series, is now available to pre-order and will be released in November, with the first single, “Aang Becomes Ocean,” releasing on Friday, July 28.
Emmy Award-winning composer and musician Jeremy Zuckerman, who composed the music for the award-winning animated Nickelodeon series, has expanded his original compositions and employed a full orchestra for Avatar: The Last Airbender – Book 1: Water (Music from the Animated Series). The original album artwork was created by Bryan Konietzko, co-creator and art director of Avatar: The Last Airbender and co-Chief Creative Officer of Avatar Studios.
Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender is co-created by Konietzko and Michael DiMartino. The series ran for three seasons (61 episodes), from February 2005 to July 2008 and was honored with a Peabody Award and Primetime Emmy, along with multiple Annie Awards and Genesis Awards. Avatar: The Last Airbender follows the adventures of the main protagonist Aang and his friends, who must defeat Fire Lord Ozai and end the Hundred Year War to restore balance to the Four Nations.
Pre-save Avatar: The Last Airbender – Book 1: Water (Music from the Animated Series) to Spotify or Apple Music here.
It’s possible this was meant to be revealed at the Avatar panel at SDCC today, which was canceled due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Simu Liu (Shang-Chi, Barbie) to reprise his role as Paul Sun-Hyung Lee’s son by playing Iroh’s son Lu Ten in live action?
Simu Liu (Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Barbie) just potentially teased that he’s joining the world of Avatar on the side of the Fire Nation!
In a new Instagram story, he posted himself getting fitted for a bald cap or wig with the caption “And then the Fire Nation attacked”. Previously Daniel Dae Kim posted himself in the ATLA makeup chair when he was getting fitted for his Fire Lord Ozai wig.
Simu Liu previously played Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (live-action Iroh)’s son in Kim’s Convenience. Could this be a hint that he’s reprising that role in spirit by playing Iroh’s son Lu Ten?
It wouldn’t be the first family reunion in the live-action cast– BOTH Joel Montgrand and Rainbow Dickerson (Sokka and Katara’s parents Hakoda and Kya) previously played Kiawentiio (Katara)’s parents in the movie Beans (2020).
“Sharing tea with a fascinating stranger is one of life’s true delights.”
Greg Baldwin (the voice of animated Iroh after the death of the original voice actor, Mako Iwamatsu) and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (the new live-action Iroh)!
Fun fact, Dave Filoni worked with the original Iroh on ATLA Book One: Water back in 2005, and the new Iroh in The Mandalorian!
The cast of Avatar: The Last Airbender on day 1, day 2, and day 3 of Netflix’s Tudum Global Fan Event in São Paulo, Brazil!
Avatar series
ATLA
Season 1
soundtrack
Yangchen
the Air
Netflix
Part Three
the Fire
Nation
Part Two
Part Three
Part One
Part Two
Part One
Part Three
Part 2
Part 1
Part 3
in the archive