Avatar: The Last Airbender Exec On the Show's Beef With James Cameron's Avatar

By Megan Peters

Avatar: The Last Airbender has been enjoying a renaissance of sorts. During the early days of the pandemic, the animated series made its way back to Netflix, and fans from across the globe were reintroduced to the series. Now, a new generation of fans is obsessed with the tale, and plans are in the works to revive the IP with new projects. But as another Avatar's comeback looms ahead, one of the show's executives is speaking out on the hilarious rift.

The update comes from Twitter courtesy of Giancarlo Volpe. The director, who oversaw a number of Avatar episodes, got their jokes in as they commented on Hollywood's upcoming Avatar release. After all, James Cameron is finally ready to release the sequel to his hit movie after more than a decade. But even after all this time, netizens still get his Avatar confused with Aang.

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," the director shared.

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Of course, it is easy to understand the confusion between these titles. Avatar and Avatar: The Last Airbender are rather close, and it doesn't help that the latter series is often shortened to Avatar as well. Both franchises involve animation of some sort, and their fantastical stories push the boundaries of our reality. But beyond that, well – Cameron's alien epic could not be more different from Aang's heroic journey.

Now, both of these IPs are back in the headlines, and we have their comebacks to thank. Avatar: The Way of Water will hit theaters this month, and of course, Aang is planning his own return with Avatar Studios. Right now, the studio is working on an animated feature, and Paramount hopes to bring the film to theaters in a few years.

Do you still mix up the names of these two IPs? Which one are you more excited to see make a comeback...? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.

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