Aang: The Last Airbender: Release Date, Cast, Story & Everything We Know (2024)

Further expanding the popular Avatar: The Last Airbender franchise, a new animated movie is on the way entitled Aang: The Last Airbender. Based on the aforementioned cartoon series that ran from 2005 to 2008, the film will chronicle the adventures of the eponymous character as an adult, using his unique airbending talents to help protect those in need. Perhaps one of the most beloved animation franchises of all time, Avatar: The Last Airbender has been off the air for nearly two decades but continues to be just as popular as it was in the Aughts.

The recent live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series on Netflix rectified many of the problems with M. Night Shyamalan's 2010 film, and it helped spur further interest in the millennial staple. Though Aang: The Last Airbender isn't the only Avatar: The Last Airbender movie or show in development, it marks the first major change for the franchise. Outside the original cartoon series and its successor, The Legend of Korra, every other piece of Avatar media has been an adaptation that doesn't further the plot. Aang: The Last Airbender will finally give fans a new glimpse of the Avatar universe.

Aang: The Last Airbender Latest News

The Movie's Release Date Is Changed

Though the mysterious project was long slated for a specific release date, the latest news sees the release of Aang: The Last Airbender moved by three months. Originally scheduled to release in October 2025, the highly-anticipated animated movie will now arrive on January 20, 2026 instead. While no specific reason for the change has been given, it comes as Paramount has begun retooling its upcoming release schedule in the extended wake of the 2023 Hollywood strikes. Aang: The Last Airbender's new date seems much firmer and isn't likely going to change.

Aang: The Last Airbender Release Date

The Airbender Returns In January 2026

Even before fans knew exactly what the movie was, Aang: The Last Airbender was scheduled to premiere in October 2025. However, not long after more details were revealed about the film in April 2024, the movie saw its release date move to January 20, 2026. The change came alongside a few other release date changes at Paramount, and the blockbuster animated film Transformers One also saw its release date tweaked.

Aang: The Last Airbender Cast

Eric Nam & Dave Bautista Lead A Star-Studded Voice Cast

When the film was formally introduced by Paramount at CinemaCon in 2024, the studio also released an impressive list of talent who will lead the voice cast. Stepping into the role of adult Aang is Eric Nam who is most known as a singer in Korea, but has branched out into acting. Perhaps most interesting of all, MCU alum Dave Bautista has been tapped to voice an unnamed villain, and his is the only character thus far who hasn't been named. Other returning Avatar characters include Toph, Sokka, Katara, and Zuko, with the latter once again voiced by Dante Basco.

The entire known cast of Aang: The Last Airbender includes:

Actor	Aang: The Last Airbender Role
Eric Nam	Aang
Dave Bautista	Unknown Villain
Dante Basco	Fire Lord Zuko
Dionne Quan	Toph
Jessica Matten	Katara
Roman Zaragoza	Sokka

Aang: The Last Avatar Story

The Movie Follows Adult Aang

Though little is known about the specifics of the plot for Aang: The Last Airbender, it's clear that Paramount has big plans for the upcoming movie. The film will follow adult Aang in the future after the events of Avatar: The Last Airbender, what challenges he will face is unknown, but Dave Bautista's as-yet-unnamed villain will likely be on hand to vex the much older version of the beloved hero. With the movie planned as the first part of a trilogy, Aang: The Last Airbender will likely introduce a host of plot threads that won't all be resolved in just a single film.

Aang: The Last Airbender

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

Based on the animated series Avatar, Aang: The Last Airbender is an animated action-adventure film directed by Lauren Montgomery and William Mata. No plot details exist for the film currently, but the film will see Dave Bautista voicing the role of a lead villain.

Director

Lauren Montgomery , William Mata

Release Date

January 20, 2026

Studio(s)

Nickelodeon Studios , Paramount Pictures

Distributor(s)

Paramount Pictures

Cast

Dave Bautista , Dante Basco , Jessica Matten , Eric Nam , Dionne Quan , Roman Zaragoza

Franchise(s)

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Main Genre

Fantasy