The enduring story of Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender continues to find an audience, no matter how much time has passed since Aang (Zach Tyler Eisen) defeated Firelord Ozai (Mark Hamill). Love for the series has continued for years since because the fantasy world of the Four Nations preaches many timeless themes.
After the conclusion of Aang’s story, creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino created a show that followed the next cycle of the Avatar. This time, the bridge to the Spirit World was a waterbender named Korra (Janet Varney), who was as impulsive as Aang was meditative. Reincarnation is baked into the DNA of the series, so it’s no surprise that with the creation of their own studio, the creators have decided to keep the momentum going.
Avatar Studios will release a selection of features, including one about our honor-bound Zuko. (Oh, to hear the tones of Dante Basco again!) But perhaps the most exciting project is yet another iteration of the Avatar cycle. Movieweb.com announced that a new show will take place a century after Korra’s lifetime in a more modernized society. This new Avatar will be from the Earth Nation, the first we have seen since our iconic dictator stomping Kyoshi. Fans will certainly appreciate a return to the world as it was meant to be seen. But with that in mind, it doesn’t exactly bode well for Netflix’s attempt at a live-action interpretation.
What will happen with Netflix’s Avatar the Last Airbender?
Avatar: The Last Airbender has had an unfortunate history with live-action adaptations The 2010 film — we don’t speak its name — was a bizarro version of the beloved classic. It took some time for another attempt to be made, now in the form of Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender television series. Many issues seem to be rectified, including casting actors of color and visual style. But no matter how well received the series may be, fans aren’t convinced that it will be long for this world.
Live-action adaptations such as One Piece have found success on the platform, but that is the exception, not the rule. Netflix has a habit of canceling projects that don’t outperform everything else. And even if there is a passionate fanbase with this series, Avatar Studios may be taking away those fans sooner rather than later. And even if not, the streamer may not want the competition.
U/Brazca22 points out that as soon as the MCU started developing shows for Disney Plus, the beloved Netflix universe was destroyed. Even though shows like Daredevil and Jessica Jones were celebrated for their gritty realism, they failed to find life in the modern MCU. This cancelation has ultimately led to Charlie Cox reprising his role as the crime-fighting lawyer on Disney Plus, which could mirror the situation with Netflix. If the original creators are making a new show, it will most likely end up on Paramount Plus, where the rest of the old shows are also streaming.
Even so, there are a few key differences to the Marvel situation. The biggest being one is live action and one is animated. These will be two extremely separate ventures. But if Netflix doesn’t give Avatar: The Last Airbender a season 2, it may suffer nonetheless. Konietzko and DiMartino famously left the Netflix series due to creative differences. That doesn’t exactly bode well for the show. If fans are left dissatisfied yet again, they are more than likely to return to the tried and true creators of the beloved franchise. Only time will tell what will become of this live-action series, but history is not in its favor.