At San Diego Comic-Con 2025, Avatar: The Last Airbender creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko officially confirmed a massive piece of casting news for the upcoming animated film, The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender. Steven Yeun, known for his powerful roles in The Walking Dead, Minari, and Invincible, will voice none other than Zuko, the banished prince of the Fire Nation.
This confirmation puts an end to months of fan speculation since Paramount Pictures announced Yeun’s involvement in March. Many had guessed he might reprise his role as Avatar Wan, the first Avatar, whom he previously voiced in The Legend of Korra.
Konietzko confirmed their past collaboration, stating, “Steven Yeun was Avatar Wan. We loved working with him and we’re excited to have him back in the universe.”
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Zuko is a fan-favorite character from the original Avatar: The Last Airbender animated series. He’s the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, initially tasked with hunting down Avatar Aang, before embarking on one of the show’s most powerful redemption arcs. His journey from antagonist to ally made him a beloved figure.
When asked if Yeun would also be reprising his role as Avatar Wan, the creators remained tight-lipped, saying they wouldn’t “budge on that one.” This, of course, means speculation about a dual role will continue to run wild among fans.
A Star-Studded Voice Cast
Yeun joins an already stacked voice cast for The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender. The film will feature:
- Eric Nam as Aang
- Dionne Quan as Toph
- Jessica Matten as Katara
- Román Zaragoza as Sokka
- Dave Bautista in a currently undisclosed villain role
The movie is slated for release on October 9, 2026. It’s expected to focus on the original Team Avatar, now grown up, in a story set many years after the events of the series. This film is the first in a planned trilogy, promising to expand the universe far beyond what fans have seen so far.
The world of Avatar is bustling with new projects. Also announced at Comic-Con, DiMartino and Konietzko revealed the first image from Avatar: Seven Havens, a 26-episode, 2D animated series that will follow a young Earthbender, the next Avatar after Korra.
With Steven Yeun now officially confirmed as Zuko, fans can expect sparks to fly – and not just from firebending – when The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender hits theaters.
