Avatar: The Last Airbender Had to Change Original Title Thanks to James Cameron, Says Show Exec

Avatar is all over the headlines right now, and well – we have two franchises to thank. Soon, James Cameron will revive his critically acclaimed Avatar IP as its sequel heads to theaters, and reviews for the feature are stellar so far. On the other hand, Nickelodeon is living large with Avatar: The Last Airbender as it has new animated projects in the works. And now, it seems an executive on the latter IP is owning up to how Cameron’s Avatar impacted Aang’s journey.

Over on Twitter, series director Giancarlo Volpe left fans buzzing after they posted an update on Avatar. It was there the creator admitted the original title of Avatar: The Last Airbender had to be changed during development, and it was thanks to Cameron’s work.

Avatar vs Avatar

“In 2004 we learned that we had to change the name of our show from “Avatar” to “Avatar the Last Airbender” because James Cameron already had the rights to a movie called Avatar. Now the sequel is called “The Way of Water.” If part 3 is called “The Firebending Masters” we riot,” Volpe said.

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Continuing, the director went on to comment on how the show’s title was changed in various markets across the globe. “I’ve always wondered why they slightly change show titles in different countries. I think it’s marketing teams wondering if it’ll be more popular with a different name. “The Last Airbender” is kind of an abstract concept until you’ve watched the show.”

Clearly, the title did not keep anyone away from the animated series, and that is a blessing. In fact, Avatar: The Last Airbender is considered one of the best-animated TV series made, and its legacy is thriving even after all these years. Despite a last-minute title change, Aang managed to captivate audiences, and Cameron did much the same with his big-screen outing. His Avatar became one of the world’s highest-grossing films to date, and now, Avatar: The Way of Water hopes to revive the magic of the Na’vi. 

What do you think about this wild revelation? Which Avatar series do you stan the hardest? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.