Avatar fans jest at James Cameron for allegedly borrowing from The Last Airbender

James Cameron's Avatar fans are mocking him for basing his sequels on Avatar: The Last Airbender. It's well known that Avatar is one of the highest-grossing movies of our time, earning nearly $6 billion at the box office.

The storyline in both Avatar and its sequel, The Way of Water, revolves around Corporal Jake Sully, a former Marine with a disability whose mind is transferred into the body of a Na’vi warrior. He initially infiltrates their tribe but ultimately joins them, falling in love with the daughter of their tribe leader, Neytiri te Tskaha Mo’at’ite. With a third movie in development, fans have begun comparing the storytelling in the Avatar movies to that of the popular animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, teasing the director about potential similarities.

Avatar fans find a connection to Avatar: The Last Airbender

Cameron's iconic movie, Avatar, continues with a storyline where Sully and his family receive assistance from the Metkayina clan residing in Pandora's Eastern Sea in their battle against a new human threat.

Cameron teased that the untitled third film in the Avatar franchise will introduce a new group of creatures known as the "Ash People" or Fire Na’vi, adding a darker element to the story. He explained that while the first two films featured very negative human examples and positive Na’vi examples, the third film will reverse that dynamic. Additionally, the film will explore new universes while continuing the story of the main characters.

Twitter users were quick to note that Cameron’s description of the “Ash People” bears a striking resemblance to the Fire Nation in Avatar: The Last Airbender, where fire benders were portrayed as antagonistic forces against the other elemental nations.

The discussion also touched on Book One of ATLA, which follows Aang, the last Airbender, and his crew as they seek assistance from the Water Tribe in the North, akin to Sully's interaction with the Metkayina clan. Fans quickly speculated that the fourth Avatar movie, scheduled for release in 2029, may explore a similar theme, focusing on Na'vi with strong connections to the Earth, much like the Earthbenders in ATLA.

Avatar fans will have to wait and see if the franchise will end with Sully facing off against an evil, bearded man who threatens to destroy the world with fire.

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Editor's P/S

As a Gen Z netizen, I have mixed feelings about James Cameron allegedly borrowing from Avatar: The Last Airbender for his Avatar sequels. On the one hand, I can see the similarities between the two franchises, and I think it's possible that Cameron was inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender. On the other hand, I also think that the Avatar sequels are unique and original enough to stand on their own.

I think it's great that Cameron is drawing inspiration from other sources for his Avatar sequels. It shows that he's not afraid to take risks and try new things. I'm also excited to see how he incorporates elements from Avatar: The Last Airbender into his own universe. However, I hope that he doesn't rely too heavily on Avatar: The Last Airbender and that he makes sure that the Avatar sequels are still their own unique stories.

Overall, I'm cautiously optimistic about the Avatar sequels. I think they have the potential to be great movies, but I'm also aware that they could be disappointing. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on them and I'm excited to see what Cameron does with them.