Bryan Konietzko, the co-creator of both television series set in the Avatar: The Last Airbender universe, shed some light on why the franchise has slowed down after the conclusion of The Legend of Korra. After telling the story of Aang in the original series, Konietzko, co-creator Michael DiMartino and the rest of the team immediately got to work on creating the tale of the next powerful bender in the Avatar cycle. But, after spending a decade working on both shows, the team was feeling exhausted. In a recent interview shared through the show's YouTube Channel, Konietzko elaborated on how he felt when Korra reached the end of her journey back in 2014:
"After Korra, (co-creator) Mike and I were burnt out on TV and production. Trying to execute a vision with a team of people is really challenging... At the beginning of 'Avatar', I was so fueled by inspiration. By the end of that, I was out of that fuel...I really took a break from animation. It was awesome, because I found stuff that refueled that tank that, honestly, I don't think I had topped off since the beginning of 'Avatar', twenty years ago."
In both television series, the audience follows the Avatar, the only individual capable of mastering the four elements: Air, Fire, Earth, and Water. With their extraordinary abilities, the Avatar is meant to keep peace and balance between the four nations, until they pass away, and the Avatar spirit moves on to a different person. The first story is about Aang (Zach Tyler Eisen), a ten-year-old boy who gets trapped inside an iceberg after the Fire Nation destroys his home. Almost a century later, Aang is found by the Water Nation siblings, Sokka (Dante Basco) and Katara (Mae Whitman), who accompany him on his journey of mastering the elements through a series of wacky adventures full of romance, action, and fun.
The second show centers on Korra (Janet Varney), a teenager from the Water Tribes who is the Avatar after Aang's death. Set seventy years after The Last Airbender, the series deals with more complex topics, as the characters are older than the previous protagonists, and they must protect Republic City, their world's futuristic metropolis. While Aang had to focus all of his time and energy on preparing to face the evil Fire Lord Ozai, Korra assembles a diverse rogues gallery throughout her journey, which includes a cult leader who wishes to take away every single bender's powers.
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What's Next for The Last Airbender Universe?
Co-creators Konietzko and DiMartino have kept themselves busy over the last couple of years, as they were named the leaders of Avatar Studios, Nickelodeon's division focused on creating theatrical movies and new television series set exclusively in the Last Airbender universe. The first feature film developed by the studio is currently in production, and it will feature the return of Aang and his friends in a period of their lives that hadn't been explored in either of the shows. While a release date hasn't been announced for the project, the fact that it is already in production could mean the Avatar will be making a comeback within the next couple of years.
You can watch the complete interview with Konietzko down below:
