“The goat has returned”: Internet explodes over Steven Yeun’s Zuko casting in upcoming "The Last Airbender" film

Steven Yeun is officially stepping back into the Avatar universe, but not in the role fans expected.

At San Diego Comic-Con 2025, Avatar: The Last Airbender creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko confirmed that Yeun will voice Zuko in The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender, the upcoming animated film from Paramount Pictures.

Konietzko said during the interview with IGN:

"Steven Yeun was Avatar Wan. He played the first Avatar in The Legend of Korra. We loved working with him and we're excited to have him back in the universe."

The casting puts Steven Yeun in the shoes (or rather, boots) of the Fire Nation’s exiled prince, a fan-favorite antihero known for his iconic redemption arc and fierce loyalty.

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Fans erupt online as Steven Yeun gets cast as Zuko in The Last Airbender

Following the casting revelation, the internet exploded with various reactions on X.

A fan expressed their excitement, saying:

“Adult Zuko voiced by Steven Yeun? That’s fire and retribution stirring a whole new legend.”

Another one wrote:

“Bro sign me up! Gonna have to rewatch to OG shit with my kids to prepare.”

An X user tweeted:

“Steven Yeun was already Avatar Wan, so he'd be joining Daniel Dae Kim in portraying two Fire characters in Avatar lol.”

Another fan stated:

“The goat has returned #SDCC”

A web user commented:

“Going from Avatar Wan to Firelord Zuko.. Not bad.”

An online user said:

“As much as I'd love to see Dante back, I think Steven Yeun's voice makes for a perfect adult Zuko!”

Unfortunately, not everyone was pleased about Yeun voicing Zuko. On the social media platform, a fan wrote:

“If it’s not Dante then I don’t want it. his voice is too iconic to change or replicate, we don’t need him to be “more adult” when the OG voice actor is already an adult.”

Another internet user chimed in:

“I love Yeuns work but Bosco definitely should have been given the rights to reprise his role. Especially since he's still very active and working to promote the new Avatar series. Just feels wrong to recast”

One added:

“The lack of respect in the western voice acting industry strikes again. Tfw one of the most iconic voices in the entire series just isnt allowed to reprise his role. No hate to Steven but what are we doing man come on”

Meanwhile, Yeun joins The Last Airbender lineup that includes Eric Nam as Aang, Román Zaragoza as Sokka, Jessica Matten as Katara, Dionne Quan as Toph, and Dave Bautista in a yet-to-be-named villain role.

The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender is the first in a planned trilogy and is slated for release on October 9, 2026. The film is set years after the events of the original animated series, revisiting beloved characters in new stages of their lives — and reigniting fan theories in the process.