Avatar: The Last Airbender co-creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko have exited Netflix's adaptation, raising troubling questions about what prompted their sudden departure from the project. Following the widespread disappointment of the previous live-action adaptation, The Last Airbender, fans were reassured when Netflix publicly announced their commitment to honoring DiMartino and Konietzko's vision, bringing them on as executive-producers and showrunners.
M. Night Shyamalan first announced he was directing a hotly anticipated live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, widely regarded as one of the best animated series of all time, in 2007. But when The Last Airbender was released in 2010, it was a critical and commercial disaster, and lampooned as one of the worst movies of the year. The film was at the center of a white-washing controversy before it was even released following the news that Aang, Sokka, and Katara would be portrayed by white actors. Avatar: The Last Airbender co-creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko were famously not involved in the development of the movie, and have since publicly distanced themselves from the project.
When Netflix announced a live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, they assured fans that it would not repeat the failings of Shyamalan's The Last Airbender. The streaming giant emphasized their commitment to the original co-creators vision, naming the pair as executive-producers and showrunners. Although neither DiMartino or Konietzko have confirmed what exactly went wrong with the adaptation, their departure reveals worrying possibilities about the problems with Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender regarding both possible whitewashing and how it'll handle the shipping aspects of the series.
Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko initially promised to cast POC in all major roles - but after exiting the project, fans immediately began speculating that their departure was due to Netflix failing to cast actors of color in the series. Their public departure raises questions about Netflix's commitment to the Asian culture and philosophy that heavily influenced the original show; avoiding the whitewashing controversy that plagued The Last Airbender would be an easy way for the Netflix adaptation to stay true to Avatar: The Last Airbender. DiMartino and Konietzko explicitly condemned the casting controversy surrounding The Last Airbender, and would've had an excellent reason to walk away from the Netflix show if it made the same mistake.
Another major concern would be the Netflix adaptation forcing romantic relationships that did not exist in Avatar: The Last Airbender. The original series had occasional romance - most prominently between Katara and Aang - but focused more on the importance of friendship, and the impact of war on children. The Netflix series could potentially age the characters up (in order to circumvent work restrictions for child actors), and subsequently shoehorn in romantic relationship to appeal to a wider audience. Departing from the central themes that made Avatar: The Last Airbender so popular would alienate longtime fans of the show, and would be enough to prompt both co-creators to leave.
Despite Netflix's announcement that they were committed to bringing Avatar: The Last Airbender to life, the falling out over creative differences have left fans wondering what could have been bad enough for DiMartino and Konietzko to publicly distance themselves from the project. Netflix responded to their departure by emphasizing their confidence in the live-action adaptation, with or without the original creators. If they repeated the racial controversy surrounding The Last Airbender, or forced romances into the story, the Netflix adaptation would be rejecting the themes of chosen family, friendship, and inclusion that made Avatar: The Last Airbender beloved. Although it's unlikely that Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko will ever confirm what caused them to leave the Netflix series, fans can already see how this highly anticipated adaption becomes another stain on the legacy of Avatar: The Last Airbender.