Picture: Netflix
Netflix has added eight new cast members to Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2, including castings for popular characters Long Feng, Joo Dee, and King Kuei. Variety was the first to report the news.
Season 2 of Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender began filming in September, with the new season set to delve further into the Earth Kingdom to cover Book 2: Earth of the beloved animated series. The upcoming season will continue Aang’s (Gordon Cormier) quest to master all four elements to restore balance to a world thrown into war. The new batch of episodes will see the return of his friends Katara (Kiawentiio) and Sokka (Ian Ousley), as well as the arrival of fan-favorite Earth-bender Toph Beifong, played by Miya Cech.
With filming for the new season very much underway, Netflix has unveiled eight more cast members, one of which is an all-new character original to the show. Let’s examine who these cast members are and which characters they play.
Chin Han as Long Feng
As the Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se, Long Feng is the leader of the Dai Li. While on the surface, he appears pleasant and charismatic, he hides his true colors as a power-hungry, manipulative leader. While King Kuei appears to be the figurehead leader of the Earth Kingdom, Long Feng is really the one who makes the big decisions.
Chin Han has had a long and illustrious career spanning over 20 years. During that time, he landed roles in numerous Hollywood blockbusters, from Captain America: The Winter Soldier to Mortal Kombat.
Justin Chien as King Kuei
Those unknowing may consider Kuei the figurehead leader of the Earth Kingdom. He might be in charge by title, but it’s Long Feng, leader of Ba Sing Se’s police, the Dai Li, who’s really pulling the strings. He may appear a good ruler to his people, but he’s certainly too naive for his position.
Justin Chien is a Chinese-American actor. He boasts one previous credit on Netflix, having played Charles Sun in The Brothers Sun, which aired on the streamer earlier this year.
Amanda Zhou as Joo Dee
Joo Dee famously says one of the most well-known lines in Avatar history: “There is no war in Ba Sing Se.” Somewhat stoic by nature but also quite creepily enthusiastic — as forced upon her by the oppressive Dai Li — it’s Joo Dee’s role to welcome important visitors into Ba Sing Se. She quickly became one of the most ‘memed’ characters in the series, alongside the unfortunate cabbage merchant. I can’t wait to see her in live-action.
Amanda Zhou is a Canadian actress. Netflix viewers may recognize her from her role in Spinning Out (2020). She has also appeared in IT: Chapter II and The Handmaid’s Tale.
Crystal Yu as Lady Beifong
Poppy Beifong is the mother of Toph (the newest member of Team Avatar). She’s a wealthy and upstanding lady, who’s fiercely protective of her daughter. Crystal Yu is an accomplished actress who previously landed roles in the beloved British sci-fi series Doctor Who.
Kelemete Misipeka as The Boulder
I particularly love this casting, if only because Misipeka seems (by looks, at least) to be the perfect person to play The Boulder.
The Boulder (or The Pebble, as nemesis Toph Beifong calls him) is a huge, super-powerful wrestler who faces off against Toph in the Earth Rumble tournaments. But of course, not everyone comes out on top after facing the Blind Bandit.
Kelemete Misipeka is an avid weightlifter and an actor. His credits don’t stretch far and wide, but given that the show needs a strongman to fulfill the role, there seems to be nobody better equipped!
Hoa Xuande as Professor Zei
One of the smartest people in the Earth Kingdom, Zei was once the head of the anthropology department at Ba Sing Se University. He’s curious by nature and pretty eccentric as a result. In the show, he runs into Aang and his friends during an expedition to Wan Shi Tong’s hidden library — where he seeks the near-infinite knowledge and wisdom it offers.
Hoa Xuande hasn’t featured in too many projects throughout his career, but he did appear in Netflix’s live-action remake of Cowboy Bebop, another beloved animated property.
Lourdes Faberes as General Sung
General Sung is male in the animated series — the live-action series appears to have gender-swapped the character. Sung was considered one of the Earth Kingdom’s most trusted and seasoned generals, despite being pretty dire at his job. He has one task: defending the Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se. And in doing that, he’s pretty useless.
I know Lourdes Faberes well from her time in The Sandman, where her character was put through hell in the diner in episode 5. She’s also appeared in Prime Video’s Good Omens, and numerous other projects. I’ve always been a big fan of her work, I can’t wait to see her take on General Sung in Avatar.
Rekha Sharma as Amita
Amita is an entirely new character that is original to the live-action show. Therefore, we don’t have any prior knowledge of the character, nor has Netflix provided us with any details. Watch this space, I suppose.
Sharma has previously worked on some impressive projects, including Star Trek: Discovery and Battlestar Galactica. She’s certainly a well-known actress to sci-fi geeks!
When will Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 be released?
Despite getting this latest batch of casting news, don’t expect Avatar season 2 to premiere anytime soon. The new season only started filming in September, and production is expected to run until midway through 2025. Don’t expect a release until sometime in 2026.
