Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2's Show-Changing Time Jump Confirmed By Netflix Star

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With just days to go until Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 premieres on Netflix, the star of the live-action fantasy series is opening up about a time jump that was never seen in the original animated show.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is based on the beloved animated series of the same name that aired from 2005 to 2008 on Nickelodeon. Since that show was animated, it was easier to keep a character like Aang roughly the same age throughout the entire journey, with only a gradual growth over time.

However, the current live-action adaptation has run into the issue of its younger cast members aging faster than their characters. In an interview with ScreenRant's Grant Hermanns for our cover story about the show's return, star Gordon Cormier confirmed that the upcoming second season of Avatar: The Last Airbender will feature a time jump.

The actor, who is currently 16 years old, revealed that he grew about a foot in height between the first two seasons, and now he's "a little taller" than Kiawentiio, who plays Katara. Along with that growth spurt comes a time jump in which his character, Aang, is now 14 years old on the show.

Coming into Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2, Cormier doesn't want the entire focus to be on his literal growth spurt but also the growth that Aang experiences as a character.

He felt a lot like Aang in the first season, but now, he's "really had to learn to become him. I had to wake up in the morning and put on my Aang face, and show up to work and be Aang, and then go home and remember who Gordon was."

Despite these changes, the "biggest part" is never forgetting "who Aang was and what he wants out of this," which is to save the world and his friends.

"I think I grew a foot in between seasons. I'm a little taller than Kiawentiio at the beginning of season 2, but it's just been all the more motivating. I feel like now that I'm a little older in season 1 — don't get me wrong, I loved my job. I was always pushing. I really wanted to kill it. It was my first big role. I wanted it to be everything, but I feel like now in season 2, I've had a little bit of time to grow. I've had some time to learn. I've had some time to study. It's just been all about just figuring out who Aang is. He is such a character. When I was 12, I feel like honestly, I was Aang. It wasn't that hard. But coming into season 2, I really had to learn to become him. I had to wake up in the morning and put on my Aang face, and show up to work and be Aang, and then go home and remember who Gordon was. But throughout all this growth and change, I think just the biggest part of it was just remembering who Aang was and what he wants out of this. Save the world, and save his friends along the way."

Aang has always been a free spirit, as Cormier noted, and has been able to handle all of the stress and chaos that's been thrown his way "extremely well."

He's had to deal with the elements of waterbending, firebending and earthbending, along with trying to save the world, rescuing refugees and making sure the people in his life he cares about are taken care of.

It's "a lot on his plate," but despite all of that, Aang still keeps a smile on his face, according to Cormier. These burdens still hit him at times, of course, and that's where the show delves into more of a dramatic tone.

"Aang has difficulties, but it's the way that he perseveres through them, and the hope that he sees, which makes him the awesome Avatar that he is," Cormier added.

"Aang's always had such a free spirit. I feel like for the little 12-year-old that he was in season 1, he handled all of the stress extremely well. But, even as for season 2 where, I don't even know exactly how much we aged him up — I'm going to guess I look about 14 — but for a 14-year-old, I think he handles stress really well. I think there's a lot going on. I think there are so many different elements for him to worry about. We have the elements, like, waterbending, firebending, earthbending, all these things he has to worry about. On top of that, he has the world to save, he has people to take care of. He has refugees to rescue. And also, he has his family that he doesn't necessarily have to take care of because that's kind of what Sokka is for. He's the older father figure in the group. [Laughs] No, I wouldn't say that. But I feel like there's just a lot on his plate, and I think that the way he handles it, you could see he smiles through a lot of it. But I think that sometimes, it hits him, and that's where there are some dramatic parts. It is hard. Aang has difficulties, but it's the way that he perseveres through them, and the hope that he sees, which makes him the awesome Avatar that he is."

Along with Cormier and Kiawentiio, Avatar: The Last Airbender also stars Ian Ousley, Dallas Liu, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee and Daniel Dae Kim. Miya Cech is joining the second season as Toph Beifong.

Avatar: The Last Airbender season 1, which ended with Aang successfully defeating the Fire Nation after it attacked the Northern Water Tribe, received a critic score of 62% and an audience score of 70% on Rotten Tomatoes, and earned two nominations at the Emmys for sound editing and special visual effects.

Netflix has already renewed the show for a third and final season, which will wrap up Aang's storyline. It was filmed back to back with season 2, which means Aang won't see another major growth spurt when the series concludes in 2027.

Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 will be released Thursday, June 25 on Netflix.