The live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender was always going to struggle when it comes to pleasing fans of the beloved Nickelodeon series. The Netflix show unsurprisingly left at least a portion of the fanbase disappointed. But the issue with the 2023 series wasn’t a failure to faithfully adapt its source material. Despite retaining many of the animation’s best qualities, Avatar: The Last Airbender created faults of its own.
The live-action creators were under significant pressure to get the series right. Their effort was already overshadowed by the abysmal M. Knight Shyamalan film. It’s clear that the Netflix creative team took care to bring Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko’s fantasy universe to life with more authenticity. But stellar visuals and a great cast for Avatar: The Last Airbender were not enough to make Avatar a great series. With Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 now confirmed, the live-action show has the opportunity to resolve its biggest teething problems.
