Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon should be itching for another adventure of Aang and his buddies. The last movie we got was a live-action one from 2010, but the less we talk about it, the better. But then again, it’s hard not to think about it, considering we’ll be getting another live-action adaptation in the near future. Only this time, it will be a series. It sounds interesting enough because how can it do any worse than the M. Night Shyamalan movie? I don’t think it’s possible, but I’ve been wrong. The situation is a little different in this case because the series has a separate crew attached. And although the original creators stepped away from the series due to creative differences, I still have a good feeling about it.
Don’t lie. All Avatar fans are curious to see how everyone looks in live-action form. You know, the right way. But even if the live-action series does turn out to be a dub, we shouldn’t fret. Because guess what? Some fascinating and long-awaited news was revealed at the San Diego Comic-Con. Unfortunately, Janet Varney, former voice actress for Korra, did not attend the event, but she did announce further plans for our favorite group of child heroes. According to her, Avatar Aang and his friends will return, but this time, it will be in a feature-length animated movie. And to make things more interesting, the film will take place in a time when the group is young adults.
Now, this is some exciting news indeed. We heard not too long ago that Nickelodeon Animation will be developing at least three other feature-length movies. Each film will center around some of the most notable Avatar characters, including Zuko, Korra, and Aang. Hey, I can’t say no to more Avatar because even the series finale left off on a bit of a cliffhanger. Whatever those movies don’t cover, I’m sure this new movie will. For instance, was Zuko ever successful in his journey to search for his mother? How did Aang develop his relationship with Katara shortly after it began? Did Sokka become a more mature and skilled warrior? Did Toph learn to hone her skills ultimately?
These are all things that can be expanded on in all the upcoming Avatar movies. In addition, the world itself is so vast that films can develop it even further. Since this upcoming animated movie will show us the whole group as young adults, we should be curious as to how the world has changed in the years they have aged. Speaking of which, what exactly is this movie about? Varney didn’t dish out very many details, but given the period, we can make some guesses.
In her exact words, it will center around Aang and her friends. So again, the wholesome and naive kid will be the main protagonist of this next Avatar installment. Only this time, he apparently won’t be a kid. That could go either way in his development. What made Aang so special was that he was a young boy, at least in his appearance, and that he was somewhat naive in his views of morality. However, he stuck by his pacifist views throughout the series, and even at full power, he still chose not to kill Fire Lord Ozai. Based on what we’ll see in these movies, that could prove to be a mistake.
However, it will be fascinating to see how not just Aang but how all the characters matured after the series’ events. The war with the Fire Nation lasted many years, and it will be fascinating to see how the other nations are recovering in the aftermath. And by that time, Aang should have been considered a national hero by at least most of the citizens. What enemies are left after the fall of the Fire Nation Empire? There are probably more supporters and rogue soldiers out there, not to mention some of their enemies are still alive.
I’d like to see more of Fire Lord Ozai. Although he was the main antagonist of the entire series, we barely saw him. However, his presence was felt, and just about everyone beneath him was overly eager to appease him. Speaking of which, what is the fate of his favored daughter Azula? The last time we saw her, she had a severe mental breakdown after facing her brother. After going through something like that, on top of everything she has done on behalf of the Fire Nation Empire, it could be hard for her to find any redemption. Her father is also still imprisoned, so she’ll likely form some plan to free them both. Finally, she can find redemption, or Zuko will be forced to kill her. That should be very interesting to see.
As for Aang, I’m anxious to see how he has matured into an adult. Again, what made him so special was his childlike naïveté which made him come across as gullible. That seemed like his most significant flaw, but it made him the most wholesome of all the characters. Hey, he’s the chosen one for a reason. Seeing him as a young adult would be most interesting because he matures more. Since the war had ended, he could further dedicate his life to becoming an agent of peace. Even with more enemies likely lurking about, he won’t hesitate to fight them. In maturing more, Aang will likely grow wiser, but his moral values will stay with him.
And how will his relationship with his friends change? That all depends on where their paths took them. Based on what we’ve seen in The Legend of Korra, Aang and Katara build a good life together and maintain their friendship with the rest of the group. His story did end heroically, but we never got to see what led to that. So, I think an animated Avatar movie that shows the whole group as young adults is the best move. It’s something we haven’t seen before, and it’ll be an intriguing new view from our angle to see how these characters have developed.
What are your thoughts, Avatar fans? Do you think this is a good idea for the franchise?
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