Avatar: The Last Airbender will eventually leave Netflix for a new streaming home on Paramount+, according to Nickelodeon’s president and CEO. The series joined Netflix’s US library in the summer of 2020, where it reached an unprecedented level of attention and adoration from new and old fans alike. Avatar was one of the streamer’s most popular shows throughout the year, as was its sequel series The Legend of Korra.

The arrival of Avatar on Netflix was meant partially as an interest builder for the studio’s live-action remake. However, that plan was soured a bit after it was announced that original series creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino had left the Netflix project, citing irreparable creative differences. Konietzko and DiMartino have since returned to Nickelodeon as the heads of Avatar Studios, a group dedicated to creating new animated projects set in the Avatar universe. There has been little word on Netflix’s live-action series since the Avatar Studios announcement.

Related: Avatar: Biggest Questions The New Last Airbender Movie Can Answer

Suffice to say, Netflix may have missed the boat when it comes to new Avatar content, and it may not be long before they also lose the existing shows as well. During a recent interview with THR, Nickelodeon president and CEO Brian Robbins – who now also oversees Paramount+’s kids and family programming – acknowledged that Avatar, as well as iCarly and other Nickelodeon classics, will inevitably make the jump from Netflix to Paramount+. When asked if that leap was a certainty, Robbins said it was.

“Yes. And it’s not like this is some secret that we’re pulling the wool over anybody else’s eyes on other services. They’re happy to have the content and they understand the strategy. We’re very upfront about it.”

Aang and his allies in Avatar the Last Airbender

Given that Nickelodeon is under the massive ViacomCBS umbrella that also owns Paramount+, that reveal shouldn’t be too shocking for anyone. With streaming services still largely in their infancy, licensing deals between different media giants remain somewhat complicated. Even now, as Paramount+ is still establishing itself in the space, it might make a good deal of sense to leave Avatar on an older platform like Netflix. At some point, however, Nickelodeon will inevitably want to bring the franchise home.

Robbins gave no hint as to when that shift might occur, but there’s a good chance it will coincide with the marketing push for whatever Avatar Studios’ first project ends up being. Per past announcements from ViacomCBS, that project will be an animated Avatar feature film, which some are theorizing will star the original Avatar characters as adults. Whatever the subject matter ultimately ends up being, the new movie will be a major priority for Nickelodeon, surely stirring up interest in the franchise all over again. But by the time that happens, don’t be surprised if Avatar: The Last Airbender has left Netflix and found a new home on Paramount+.

Next: Best Avatar Stories Nickelodeon's New Movie & Shows Can Adapt

Source: THR