Netflix is well underway with filming on their live-action remake of Avatar: The Last Airbender, one of the most beloved animated series of all time. The show already has most of its cast in place, including protagonist Aang (Gordon Cormier), his friends Katara (Kiawentiio) and Sokka (Ian Ousley), as well as many more characters. But with plenty of casting still to come, James Sie, the voice actor behind everyone’s favorite unfortunate cabbage merchant in the original series, has put himself forward to reprise his role.
Although left nameless throughout the original series, the cabbage merchant remains one of the most memorable characters. He is the founder of Cabbage Corp and owner of the Cabbage Delicacies Bistro, and has a habit of selling his cabbages in the wrong place at the wrong time. Numerous times throughout the series, his cabbages are destroyed in battle, followed by a cry of, “My cabbages!”
In a recent interview with Slate, voice actor James Sie remembered playing a character who’s become iconic within the fandom despite very little screen time. “I never invested too much in his backstory because I didn’t think he would be coming back,” Sie said. “I just knew that he had a deep, abiding, somewhat strange attachment to his produce.”
"That was my guiding principle, that he loved his cabbages. His life was cabbages. Andrea was so gifted a voice director, so precise in what she wanted to hear. For the cabbage merchant, she would play with certain degrees of anguish and how shrill he would be."
James Sie wants to play the Cabbage Man in Netflix’s remake of Avatar: The Last Airbender
Now for what all Avatar fans want to hear: Yes, Sie would absolutely return to play the cabbage merchant in Netflix’s adaptation. “Now I’m more at the age of what the cabbage merchant was then,” he said. “I will cultivate that little beard if they need me to. And because my face is quite expressive, I’m perfect for a live-action version of an animated show. I’m ready.”
Let’s hope Netflix is listening.
Avatar: The Last Airbender fans bring us a live-action Cabbage Man
What would a live-action Cabbage Man look like? We don’t need to wait until the series airs to find out. Red Lotus Studios already put together an advance look in a fan film. Take a look at this snippet:
Hey guys! The director needs to announce the revival of this film(soon). But we thought we'd share some never-seen footage! Comment the funniest caption you can think of and the most liked comments will get featured on our website! Plz RESHARE! #airbender #AvatarTheLastAirbender pic.twitter.com/LKJJrgSmaw
— Red Lotus Studios (@RedLotusStudio2) January 29, 2021
Currently, Netflix does not have a release date set for Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor does it show up on their slate of sci-fi and fantasy content coming in 2022. However, let’s remain hopeful that we may see it later this year, or at least early in 2023.
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.
Get HBO, Starz, Showtime, and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels