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When word leaked out in 2018 thatAvatar: The Last Airbenderwas being developed into a live-action Netflix series, fans of the original animated series were understandably divided.On the one hand, the miraculous realignment of all four ‘elements’ (water, earth, fire, or air) gave the Primetime Emmy-winning show a fresh viewpoint. Plus, Netflix’s successful launch ofOne Piecewas a good sign for the streaming service’s ability to turn popular anime series into live-action films.
However, there was also a very high chance of disaster.
Fans certainly may have been waiting impatiently for the live-action version of their beloved series, but many are dissatisfied and disappointed after seeing the first clip. The highly anticipated Netflix series has come under fire for how it portrays ‘bending’, which was a key element of the original animated series.
To refresh your memory, the show is set in a war-torn world that is influenced by various Asian and Indigenous American cultures. Some characters can ‘bend’ any of the four classical elements: fire, air, earth, or water.
Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024) Review: Not Quite A Master of All Four Elements
Avatar: The Last Airbender: Fans React To The First Live Action Clip
Netflix unveiled theofficialAvatar: The Last Airbendertrailerlast month, ahead of the February 22 television series premiere.The voiceover in the trailer begs Aang to save the world at the opening. In the video, we also get our first glimpses of King Bumi, played by Utkarsh Ambudkar, as the ruler of Omashu’s Earth Kingdom.
Additionally,Albert Kim’s live-action adaptation of the animated television series of the same name (2005–2008) has released itsfirst clip.The video shows characters struggling to perform basic bending moves, with ‘slow and clumsy’ movements that lack the fluidity and grace that made the animated series so unique and enthralling.
The clip has come under fire from viewers for failing to convey the spirit of bending, which was a key component of the original show. Check out some fans’ tweets:
Something tells me, this is gonna flop hard.
— GAMBLE GAMBIT (@gambitoprime)June 21, 2025
This is slow and basic and it’s not shade or anything!
— Purp? (@purpyisgreat)June 10, 2025
Did Snyder direct this? Why all the slow-mo? 💀
— Avrelianvs (@ThatPortoNite)August 20, 2025
https://twitter.com/J0hn_D0e_An0n/status/1759647373712621644
The earth ending looks meh but the fire ending looks no pun intended 🔥
— Vincent Romano (@pspcheese)June 05, 2025
No longer excited
— Yatta Yatting (@yattYatting)August 18, 2025
Avatar: The Last Airbenderis the upcoming animated series based on the critically acclaimed and beloved Nickelodeon series of the same name.A world with four nations—the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom, the Water Tribes, and the Air Nomads—is the setting for the story. Using gestures borrowed from Chinese martial arts, ‘benders’ are people with the telekinetic capacity to control and manipulate the elements associated with their nation.
“Everything I hear about this just gets worse”: Avatar: The Last Airbender Star Tries Damage Control After Revealing Sokka’s Storyline
Avatar: The Last AirbenderStars on M. Night Shyamalan’sThe Last Airbender
The upcoming Netflix series willbe the second live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender;M. Night Shyamalan’s 2010 feature film (The Last Airbender) was the first to be released in theaters.
Several of the cast members talked about the Shyamalan movie with THR during the Netflix series’ Los Angeles premiere. Kiawentiio, who was a fan of the original series, expressed her disappointment, saying that she thought the movie served as a template for how the Netflix version ought to have been made:
“I did watch it once and as a fan I think alongside all other fans I was disappointed. But I think it’s a good way to see what we don’t want to do. This cartoon has this amazing storyline, we tried to give it the live-action it deserves.”
Paul Sun-Hyung Lee also mentioned the contentious casting decisions of White actors in traditionally Asian roles.
“I did watch it, you know? It’s been dragged through the mud a lot, and I get it, as a fan I understand it. The casting is something that didn’t sit well with me either and it was painful, in that sense. Not that the actors were bad, I’m not saying that. Nobody sets off to do a bad adaptation, nobody sets off to offend an entire fan base, but I think decisions were made that didn’t quite sit well.”
Not every member of the cast was as harsh as others. Daniel Dae Kim plays Fire Lord Ozai, the evil character in the upcoming Netflix series. He gave Shyamalan some credit when discussing the movie with THR, mentioning his “respect” for the director:
“I did see it.I have a lot of respect for M. Night Shyamalan.”
“Because the protagonist was a girl”: Nickelodeon Sabotaged Avatar: The Last Airbender Spin-off Due to Sexism After Original Series Fought So Hard to Fight Patriarchy
While it is clear that the upcoming series’ creators worked hard to bring Avatar’s world to life, some fans believe they fell short in capturing the essence of bending. As fans eagerly await the show’s premiere, it is clear that the portrayal of bending and other key elements of the series will be crucial.
The eight-episode seriesAvatar: The Last Airbenderis scheduled to debut on Netflix on August 11, 2025.
Siddhika Prajapati
Senior Journalist & Content Head
Articles Published :3310
With over 3,300 articles carved into the digital walls of FandomWire, Siddhika Prajapati excels at creating, curating, and elevating engaging stories. She takes pride in giving these stories a home and, of course, she’s got a Google Knowledge Panel to prove it!Whether it’s reviewing the latest drop on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV+, or analyzing the cultural echoes of a streaming hit on Paramount+ or Max, Siddhika is always writing three steps ahead of the discourse.
