It looks as though Amber Midthunder has just gotten a bit of a dream role by way of Netflix’s upcoming live-actionAvatar: The Last Airbenderseries. The breakoutPreystar earned tons of rightfully-deserved praise for her role in thePredatorprequel, but maybe the princess of the Northern Water Tribe will be her real measure of success.
WhenNetflix announced severalAvatar: The Last Airbendercast membersin September, many were quick to take note of Midthunder’s presence on the list. Set to play Princess Yue, she was likely a pleasant surprise to many who had just finished enjoying her performance inPrey. There’s certainly a big difference between the two roles, but the Native New Mexican actress appears not only up for the challenge but ecstatic to be part ofAvatar: The Last Airbender.
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“I’m geeking out!” Midthunder said in an interview withEmpire. “I lovedAvataras a kid. I rewatched it recently and I love that character [Princess Yue]. I’m very excited.” First, it’s probably best to put aside the existential dread that may have just set in for anyone just realizing someone who was a child whenAvatar: The Last Airbenderoriginally aired is now old enough to star in a remake. Second, Midthunder’s enthusiasm is absolutely infectious. There’s a lot of nostalgia going into people’s feelings about the upcoming live-action series, so knowing that there are genuine fans on board should help alleviate some concerns.
Midthunder is also still riding the high fromthe well-reviewedPrey, which earned praise not only from general audiences but from her own people of the Comanche Nation. Much care was taken to properly represent their culture, as well as that of other Native American groups, and it appears to have paid off. “It’s been such an emotional experience being with my own people, or other native people, and getting to see what this means to the people that it represents,” she continued. “To be received as well as we’ve been received by so many different types of people [including] indigenous communities… I feel very satisfied, to say the least.”
Netflix’sAvatar: The Last Airbenderstars Gordon Cormier as the titular Avatar Aang,Anne with an E’s Kiawentiio as Katara,13 Reasons Why’s Ian Ousley as Sokka, andPEN15’s Dallas Liu as Zuko. Along with the main cast, it will also star Paul Sun-Hyung Lee ofKim’s Conveniencefame asthe lovable Uncle Iroh,Community’s Danny Pudi as the Mechanist, Utkarsh Ambudkar fromGhosts(the U.S. version) as King Bumi, and even George Takei as the face-stealing spirit Koh. Don’t worry, the humble cabbage merchant is there as well, to be played byJackie Chan Adventuresstar James Sie.
That’s only a taste of the already stellar cast boasted by Netflix’sAvatar: The Last Airbender. Obviously, a great cast alone isn’t enough to make a great show, but it’s certainly a good start, and Midthunder’s own enthusiasm can definitely help things along.
