Avatar: The Last Airbender is a really beloved series, and with a new animated film on the way, the newest actor behind Katara is hoping she doesn’t mess up.
A sequel film to the original Avatar series has been in the works for a little while now, and back in April the voice cast was revealed, which for the part has some lesser-known names, though it did also attach Guardians of the Galaxy’s Dave Bautista in an unnamed villain role. That selection of new cast is taking over the roles of beloved characters like Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph, and in a recent interview with Collider, Jessica Matten, the new voice behind Katara, spoke of what it’s been like taking over the role, getting to know the rest of the cast, and the weight she feels over joining such a beloved series.
When asked about what it meant to be a part of the widely loved franchise, Matten said “I’m really honored,” continuing on to say “It’s really cool. I actually got to meet Eric Nam, who’s playing Aang a couple of weeks ago in LA, and he’s a nice human. I’ve met Dave Bautista a couple of years ago in Toronto. I met Dave briefly in Toronto just through mutual friends. He’s a great guy too, so I’m really excited that it’s just a cast of incredible people, really kind.
“That’s what you want to do. You want to be working with kind, cool people on projects. I’m looking forward to that. That comes out early next year. I learned more about what Avatar: The Last Airbender was for people just by honestly booking this role. I really just hope I serve it justice and I hope people like what I do. I just don’t want to let anyone down, that’s all.”
Details are still pretty slim on the new Avatar film overall, but it takes place years after the original series featuring the Gaang as adults. Of the original cast only Dante Basco is back is other fan favourite Zuko, with Erin Nam and Roman Zaragoza taking over the roles of Aang and Sokka respectively. The film is also currently set to be released on January 30, 2026, so you’ll likely have to wait a while for a trailer.
