Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender’s premiere on the 2024 TV schedule is right around the corner (February 22), which means anticipation is running very high. Since the live-action movie in 2010, fans have been trepidatious, to say the least, about other adaptations of the beloved Nickelodeon series. So, it makes sense that once they find out a big change is being made to this new show, they’d be nervous. However, after hearing the showrunner's explanation, I don’t think fans of the original series should be too worried.
Showrunner Albert Kim shared new details about the upcoming show and a major change they’re making to the beginning of the series. However, if there’s one thing I know about Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender it’s that it’s being made with love, and ultimately, I think this change will be logical. However, with all that being said, let’s get into what this big change could be, why fans shouldn’t be too worried, and my theory about how the series might begin.
The Big Change Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender Is Making
While speaking with EW, Albert Kim talked about adapting 20, 30-minute episodes into eight one-hour episodes of serialized drama, and how the show will both stay true to the animated series and change a few things. These changes will include a big one at the start, as the showrunner said:
We don't start the show the way the animated series starts. That was a conscious decision to show people this is not the animated series.
It’s unclear what this change will be. However, we can expect something quite different from the OG story, which opens with an extended credits scene explaining the history of what happened while the Avatar was on ice as well as Katara and Sokka finding Avatar Aang in an iceberg. Kim continued saying this "remix" was done to help make a logical "serialized drama."
Avatar fans are protective, so they’re bound to have thoughts about this. However, as a lifelong fan of the animated series, I don’t think we need to be worried.
Why Fans Of The OG Avatar: The Last Airbender Shouldn’t Be Worried
So far, all Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender has done is prove that we’re in for a treat.
The announcement of the live-action Last Airbender cast was epic, and it’s clear that they’ve cast a representative, diverse and fitting ensemble. On top of that, the folks behind the show adore the OG series, and they want to do right by it. Speaking about the change at the beginning, why they did it, and their histories with the Nickelodeon show Kim said:
All of our writers are also fans of the original, so they drew upon their own personal experiences and the things that they love the best. We made sure to include all those in the show.
We are going to see a big change at the beginning of the show. However, Kim assured us that the people working on it love the animated source material, and are working really hard to make this something fans of the Nickelodeon program will love.
We got a glimpse of this when the Last Airbender teaser trailer came out, and we saw the stunning visuals and accurate depictions of the characters, creatures and lands:
So, overall, I don’t think we need to be worried about this starting in a different way, because the trailer is already so faithful to the OG Last Airbender. Along with that, you can see the iceberg Aang is in in the clip, showing that while the first few scenes will differ, we’re going to get that classic origin story of the boy in the iceberg.
Now the question becomes, how will the start of the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender be different?
My Theory About How The Show Will Start
Of course, I have a theory about this difference.
The article notes that Season 1 of the live-action series will take a serialized approach rather than a challenge-of-the-week format. This means the overall conflict involving Zuko’s father Fire Lord Ozai will likely be brought to the forefront.
In Season 1 of the animated series, Zuko’s father is really only mentioned, and he doesn’t become a mainstay until the later installments. With the beginning of the show changing, I could see them giving us a history of the Fire Nation’s attacks before we head to the Water Tribe. That way we fully understand what Aang and the gang are up against from the jump.
Luckily, we won’t have to wait long to see this change Kim is talking about, and if my theory is correct. Hopefully, it’ll prove to be a good one; I know I think it will. In the meantime, you can prepare for the live-action Avatar, by watching the OG The Last Airbender with a Netflix subscription.
