Invincible and The Walking Dead star Steven Yeun has reportedly joined the upcoming animated Aang Avatar movie.
Details on Yeun’s involvement come from Variety, which reports the versatile star has been picked up to be a part of the film’s cast in an undisclosed role. It means we could hear him lend his voice acting talents as a new character from any one of the project’s Earth, Air, Fire, and Water kingdoms. There’s also the chance we see him play a familiar character, too, though the animated film’s plot details also remain tightly under wraps.
Variety’s report also states the Aang Avatar movie is currently “untitled” after previously being referred to as Aang: The Last Airbender. It’s unclear if that title idea has been dropped by Paramount Pictures.
Yeun made a name for himself as The Walking Dead’s baseball cap-wearing Glen before eventually branching out to appear in shows like Netflix’s award-winning Beef as well as movies like Nope and, more recently, Mickey 17. He’s also managed to cement himself as a more-than-capable voice actor, too. Amazon Prime Video’s Invincible, where he leads as the superhero series’ titular character, is no doubt his most notable voice acting credit, but he’s also got an important history with the Avatar universe.
Sequel series The Legend of Korra spends a good chunk of Book Two, its second season, diving into Yeun’s character, Wan. A long-deceased man with deep ties to the spirit world – and the very first Avatar – Wan is undoubtedly an important name in Avatar canon. It would make sense to see Aang: The Last Airbender explore its lead’s relationship with the first master of all four elements. Then again, Yeun could surely make sense in a new role, too.
IGN has reached out to Paramount for comment.
Choosing how The Walking Dead alum fits into the 2026 film is up to co-directors Lauren Montgomery and William Mata. The duo is already hard at work alongside original creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, who remain attached as executive producers. The project is part of a trilogy of animated works from the Avatar team.
Aang: The Last Airbender, the first of the three films, is scheduled to premiere January 30, 2026. It will star singer/songwriter Eric Nam as the titular Airbender, with Guardians of the Galaxy and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery star Dave Bautista also apart of its cast.
With less than a year to go before its planned release date, we’ll surely hear more about how its story will expand upon the beloved universe in the coming months. For more on all things Avatar, you can read up on how Netflix will continue its live-action take on the original series.
Photo by Marc Piasecki/Getty Images.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
