The Internet is buzzing with the news of the upcoming Netflix live-action adaptation – Avatar: The Last Airbender, starring Ian Ousley. Based on the story of the Nickelodeon animated show Avatar the Last Airbender, the live-action version is going to feature the four characters, Sokka, Zuko, Katara, and Aang.
However, according to recent updates, it appears as though the Netflix adaptation might be suffering due to their decision to make certain changes to the original characters. But while people are concerned about Avatar: The Last Airbender, it’s not the only Avatar project that’s coming. Apparently, the original animated show is set to get an animated movie.
Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender is Facing Setbacks
Nickelodeon’s 2005 Avatar the Last Airbender narrating the tale of a young Aang, who is destined to bring peace to the four elemental nations that are constantly at war with each other, has been a classic choice of binge-watch for generations. Following the popularity of that show, Hollywood planned on capitalizing on its success and therefore came up with several adaptations.
In 2010, Paramount Pictures developed the live-action film adaptation The Last Airbender, based on the original 2005 show. Starring Dev Patel in the role of Zuko, the movie became a popular Amazon Prime film. However, despite the popularity of the film, true fans of the original animated show have been skeptical about the adaptation.
Further, Netflix decided to capitalize on the success of Avatar the Last Airbender (2005) and therefore began developing a live-action adaptation series Avatar: The Last Airbender, which was released on February 22, 2024. Unfortunately, prior to its debut on the streamer, the show had been making headlines for upsetting fans with its unnecessary changes to its characters.
According to reports, it was previously mentioned that the Netflix show featuring Ian Ousley will be changing the sexist nature of Sokka in order to cater to the modern audiences. This very change created a setback for the show, as fans began revolting since Sokka’s sexist attitude is the essence of his character, which eventually develops with age and time, leading the character to realize that he was wrong.
Avatar the Last Airbender to Get a New Animated Movie
Following this particular news, which informed fans about the changed bits of the original show and the characters, fans expressed their outrage. This led to Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender facing a major issue even before its release. Currently, after its debut on Netflix on February 22, the live-action adaptation might be suffering a setback, but that’s not all that is happening surrounding the original Avatar the Last Airbender.
Although the Netflix adaptation might be facing an issue, and fans previously expressed their skepticism towards Paramount Pictures’ 2010 movie, Hollywood is not done with capitalizing on the success of Avatar the Last Airbender. The Netflix live-action show isn’t the last Airbender project, for the original Nickelodeon show informed fans via Instagram that a new animated, theatrically released film series, will be a direct sequel to the 2005 Avatar the Last Airbender.
As per Polygon, the upcoming animated films will follow Aang, Sokka, Katara, and the rest of the Avatar gang as they move through the adult world. The upcoming film series will be filling in the gaps of what happened between The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. Set to be directed by Lauren Montgomery, who worked on the original series, the animated film series will release its first installment on October 10, 2025.
