Avatar’s Animated Comeback Has Put Netflix’s Show in a Tough Spot

Paramount Studios announced earlier that a production studio was being created to once again revisit the world of Aang, Korra, and the other benders that were first introduced in Avatar The Last Airbender, but with Netflix still marching forward with their live-action adaptation, is the streaming service now in a tough spot? With Avatar Studios bringing in the co-creators of the animated series, who had previously left Netflix’s series due to “creative differences”, it definitely seems as though this upcoming adaptation is going to have an uphill battle when it comes to reaching fans of the original.

Netflix brought both the original Avatar The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra series to its streaming service last year, bringing back old fans, and new, to the adventures of the Avatar in the world of bending. With the departure of creators Michael Dante Dimartino and Bryan Konietzko from the project, a new showrunner has yet to be chosen, with casting for the series and production dates still anyone’s guess. On top of this, rumors have swirled around social media that the main characters of the original series will be getting a change when it comes to their ages, with Katara seemingly being “aged up” several years past Aang and Sokka, leaving many fans perplexed.

This of course isn’t the first time that the world of Avatar has been produced for a live-action adaptation, with the controversial M. Night Shyamalan film still regarded by many as not being able to come close to living up to the original standard set by its source material. Many fans were originally put at ease when it was announced that the two minds responsible for the creation of the original series, but with their departure, many are left feeling trepidatious about the series.

Avatar The Last Airbender isn’t the only animated series that Netflix is planning a live-action series for, with anime series One Piece and Yu Yu Hakusho confirmed to be eventually getting television shows of their own. Though details are few and far between on the latter series, One Piece has already chosen its showrunner in Steven Maeda, as well as bringing in the original creator of the Shonen franchise on board in Eiichiro Oda, fans definitely don’t seem to be as worried for its future.

Do you think the Netflix adaptation for Avatar is doomed? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of bending.