One originalAvatar: The Last Airbenderstar believes that he could reappear in the franchise someday. While Netflix is currently continuing itslive-actionAvatarremake, original creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko are looking to reinvent the franchise. They are developing a sequel show, prequel and sequel movies, and other examples of new content.
Avatar Kyoshi is set to lead a movie of her own, as will an adult Aang. Fire Lord Zuko (Dante Basco) will also have the chance to lead a standalone movie in his own right. The most prominent production, however, isAvatar: Seven Havens, which will explore a devastated world in which the new Earth Avatar is desperate to correct her predecessor’s mistakes.
At theAvatar: The Last Airbender20th Anniversary panel atFan Expo Chicago, which was moderated byScreenRant’s Joe Deckelmeier, Basco discussedSeven Havensand other future prospects. While he did not explicitly claim that he would return in the future, he did express that his voice “might come back”. Check out his responsebelow:
ScreenRant: Dante, you played Zuko and his grandson General Iroh in [Legend of] Korra. Would you be open to continuing that family line in future projects like [Avatar] Seven Havens?
Dante Basco: The voice of the Fire Nation sometimes gets passed down [through] generations. It may skip a generation, but it might come back.
ScreenRant: So you’re saying there’s a chance.
What This Means For Dante Basco And Avatar
The nextAvatarshowis already deep in development, so Basco would likely already have an idea about his potential return. In the show, Zuko will undoubtedly be long gone, as both Aang and Korra’s stories have come to their inevitable ends. Given that Zuko was already elderly in Korra’s days, there will be a new Fire Lord, if a Fire Lord even exists.
The entire premise ofSeven Havensrevolves around the idea that the entire world has shattered. The old nations have disappeared, replaced by seven havens in which humanity still exists. A Fire Lord simply may not exist in that world, so Zuko’s descendants could be relatively powerless.
Bruce Allen Davison played Zuko inAvatar: The Legend of Korra.
Basco could still appear through Zuko’s descendants, however. Even after Zuko was recast forKorra, Basco played the relatively young General Iroh II, Fire Lord Izumi’s son. As long as the Fire Lord’s relatives continue to live in this new world, Basco will likely also have a role in theAvatarfranchise.
Our Take On Basco’s Potential Avatar Return
While anyAvatarsequel show should strive to build its own legacy without delving too heavily into Aang’s adventures, these small cameos do little to harm the overall product. Basco’sKorracasting was slightly distracting, but it was more heartwarming than confusing. If Zuko’s voice truly is a genetic trait in his family, then Basco reappearing is fairly inevitable.
If DiMartino and Konietzko agree to bring Basco back, then it will be a welcome cameo by a respected star. It will also help to bridge the gap between the shows, especially as Aang’s journey could be ignored by an enraged populace. Given Zuko’s importance in the originalAvatar: The Last Airbender, aSeven Havensappearance is a possibility.
