The cast of Netflix’s live-action action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender says fans will get even more background and lore about the characters than ever before.

The cast talked with Trey Mangum, Blavity/Shadow and Act’s managing editor, to talk about what it was like to bring the fantastical Nickelodeon series to life.

“I think for fans of the original series, it’s still the same world and the same universe and all these characters are the same,” said Kiawentiio, who plays Katara. “…And I feel like that was really important for the creation of this live-action adaptation. For the new fans, I hope that our show is a good way to be introduced to this universe and to get them interested in watching the original.”

“I think or show fills in a few plot holes that might be in the animated series as well. Albert Kim made a sure to do a good job of making sure everything connected in our story,” added Dallas Liu, who plays Zuko. He also said that the live-action series brings more special effects than the original series.

“I think 2005 when they were making the animation, technology was quite limited you can tell there’s a major difference between Season 1 and Season 3,” he said, adding, “…[O]ur show just starts really strong.”

Gordon Cormier, who plays Aang, said that the cast did “99.9 percent of our stunts,” adding that he believes “that’s what’s so exciting about bringing it to life.”

“We’re going to see real firebending with real people. We’re going to see real waterbending, which is probably one of the hardest to edit,” he said. “[We’ll see] Real airbending…and real earthbending. I feel like that’s just going to make it really awesome.

Daniel Dae Kim, who plays Zuko’s tyrant father, Fire Lord Ozai, said that it’s correct to call Ozai a “looming presence” in the first season.

“Like any good big bad, you set him in the beginning and let the others talk about him, you let others do his bidding until the final fight and so I think the writers did a really nice job of setting up that structure,” he said.

Watch the full interviews above. Avatar: The Last Airbender is now streaming on Netflix.