Avatar: The Last Airbender has been a force of nature for two decades, but I’m starting to worry about the franchise’s future with every new update. Nickelodeon struck gold in 2005 when they debuted the TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender, a cartoon that would change animated children’s shows forever and win a Peabody Award.
Like many fans, I watched in awe as the episodes originally debuted and fell even more in love with the show with every rewatch. When it found a second life on Netflix, the fanbase grew even bigger, making Avatar: The Last Airbender a cultural touchstone for multiple generations of viewers.
I had hope, just like everyone else, when Avatar Studios formed, promising us three new movies and more TV shows set within the world of ATLA. However, I’ve become jaded with every delay and change in plan. It’s hard to have confidence in the franchise’s future when the fanbase is getting yanked around, and the newest change to The Legend of Aang makes me extremely concerned.
Avatar: The Last Airbender’s Aang Movie Is Skipping Theaters
The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender logo
Since Avatar Studios announced that they would make three feature-length films set in the Avatar: The Last Airbender world, the expectation is that they would debut in theaters. The hype continued to build as they announced that the first movie would focus on Aang and his friends as young adults.
The movie went through quite a few hiccups, as the original release date was October 10, 2025, and it was then pushed to January 30, 2026. However, the theatrical release finally settled with The Legend of Aang coming out on October 9, 2026. Despite the changes, fans fully intended to show at the theaters to watch the much-hyped film.
Unfortunately , on December 23, 2025, news broke that The Legend of Aang movie would skip theaters and be released exclusively on Paramount+, which would be the home to all Avatar: The Last Airbender animated content from here on out.
Based on the statement provided to The Hollywood Reporter by Jane Wiseman, Head of Originals for Paramount+, it seems that the goal of releasing the Avatar: The Last Airbender Aang movie on Paramount+ is to bolster its portfolio and make the streaming service more appealing. They want people to identify Paramount+ as the franchise’s home.
However, it’s actually just making fans extremely upset, based on the social media reactions. Many folks stated that they would have rather gone to movie theaters to watch The Legend of Aang and others claimed this is a desperate ploy to get more Paramount+ subscribers.
As a fan of the franchise myself, I definitely agree with the first statement, and the second one is a strong possibility. Paramount+ has nowhere near the name recognition of Disney+ or Netflix. If gaining new subscribers is truly their intent, they fail to recognize that fans don’t like being manipulated. This could massively backfire.
The Legend Of Aang Coming Straight To Streaming Undercuts Its Impact
Aang looking over his shoulder worried in Avatar The Last Airbender
Paramount+ doesn’t seem to recognize that its plan to release The Legend of Aang straight-to-streaming completely undercuts the movie. Fans were extremely hyped by the idea that we would finally, finally get to see a good Avatar: The Last Airbender movie in theaters.
We were burned before by the M. Night Shyamalan movie. However, this time it would be different. They were keeping the animation style, and the co-creators of Avatar: The Last Airbender would be directly involved. What’s more, the film offered a new story instead of recycling the masterpiece animated TV show. We finally had a reason to get excited again.
By releasing it directly to Paramount+, they eliminate a large part of what made people hyped. It still could be good, but its release feels like a less grand event. This move is the streaming era’s equivalent of a straight-to-VHS sequel. What’s more, the new release also decreases the likelihood that The Legend of Aang will become nearly as big as it could have been if released in theaters.
It’s not impossible for The Legend of Aang to be successful as an animated streaming movie. KPop Demon Hunters proved that. However, Netflix’s most-watched movie of all time seemed more of an anomaly than the norm. Animated streaming movies just aren’t given the same sort of appreciation or attention as their theatrically released counterparts.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Could’ve Been One Of Paramount’s Flagship Franchises
The creation of Avatar Studios made it seem like Paramount understood how culturally significant Avatar: The Last Airbender was. It made it seem like they were dedicated to expanding the franchise in new ways. Now, I’m not so sure about that.
Earlier this year, Paramount reaffirmed its dedication to theatrical releases over streaming. Yet, they cancelled The Legend of Aang’s theatrical release. If their commitment to theaters is genuine, then I get the impression that they think the Avatar: The Last Airbender IP isn’t strong enough to stand on its own.
I know they’re saying they are releasing The Legend of Aang on Paramount+ to establish it as the streaming home of all ATLA animated content, but that contradicts their previous statement about focusing on theatrical releases.
The notion that Avatar: The Last Airbender isn’t strong enough of an IP is not only incorrect, but it’s a little bit offensive. It could have easily become one of their flagship franchises. Avatar: The Last Airbender has just as strong a fanbase 20 years later as SpongeBob or Sonic, two of its other biggest franchises.
Fans have continued to turn out for new shows like The Legend of Korra and the live-action Netflix series. Paramount very well could have created a self-sustaining loop. The theatrically released movies would increase excitement for the Avatar: The Last Airbender content on Paramount+, which would then create more hype for the next theatrically released film.
Instead, it seems like they have no faith in Avatar Studios, which is a huge disappointment. Why should I think they’re going to invest as much time and attention into future releases if they’re backpedaling on this one?
There Are Still Reasons To Be Excited About ATLA’s Future
The main reason I’m still excited about Avatar: The Last Airbender’s future, at this point, is the non-Paramount+ projects. The live-action show, while not as good as the animated series, is still entertaining and has potential.
The new TV series could also be promising. Until the news about The Legend of Aang’s streaming release, I was extremely pumped for Avatar: Seven Havens. The first look is fantastic. However, I’m going to hold off getting my hopes up too much, since Paramount+ has made me doubt their dedication to the Avatar: The Last Airbender.
However, even if that doesn’t pan out, the book side of Avatar: The Last Airbender is still flourishing and expanding the lore in exciting new ways. Any fan who enjoys reading needs to check out the comic series and the Chronicles of the Avatar novels. Ultimately, the exciting future of Avatar: The Last Airbender may end up lying outside Paramount+.
Release Date
2005 – 2008
Network
Nickelodeon
Showrunner
Michael Dante DiMartino