The voice of Prince Zuko talks Netflix’s live-action Last Airbender series
Fifteen years after its premiere date, Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender remains a cultural phenomenon, so much so that Netflix is currently in the midst of making a live-action adaptation.
Of course, we’ve been here before, and the last live-action rendition of the story left a lot to be desired. But with Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the creators of the original series, heavily involved this time around, fans are feeling more optimistic about this attempt. Still, some of them have concerns, and understandably so.
Dante Basco, who voiced the sullen, exiled Prince Zuko in the animated series, is among those with concerns, as much as he trusts DiMartino and Kinietzko to do things properly. In an interview with ComicBook.com, Basco expressed his hope that the new take on The Last Airbender story does his character justice.
"I know [Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko] are involved, so I have a lot of trust in something beautiful that they’ll create. But as far as the new Zuko as they do the adaptation, it’s really … You’ve got to remember his story."
It’s true that Zuko’s past — particularly the trauma he undergoes at the hands of his own family — is crucial to capturing his character. And understanding what he’s been through helps viewers realize his growth as it’s happening. According to Basco, that growth is also evident through the little details of the animated series. Hopefully, that will carry over to the Netflix adaptation. Basco mentioned Zuko’s hair specifically, which changes as his story does. “As funny as the hair is in the story, it’s real,” he said. “It’s like he goes from being a bald-headed kid with a ponytail to the end with the meanders, it’s part of his journey. You kind of got to start in a very extreme place, which means he’s got a crazy place in life.”
It’s the little details like that that make The Last Airbender so great, and with any luck, they’ll make the cut in the latest rendition. And it’s not just Zuko’s story the series needs to get right; each of the main characters grows in a complex manner as the show continues, and each of them deserves to have that done right.
Next. Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender to arrive sooner than we thought?. dark
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