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10 Major Differences Between the Live-Action AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER and Its Cartoon

Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender live-action series adaptation has long referred to itself as “a remix, not a cover” of the original cartoon. And rightfully so. The word “adaptation” implies a certain loyalty to the source material but also promises some changes. Otherwise, what would be the point of telling the story again? And, indeed, there are some major differences between the Avatar: The Last Airbender live-action series and its cartoon counterpart. Some of the differences between the two Avatar: The Last Airbender series are more literal, shifting story points or rewriting them. Others are a bit more spiritual, bringing changes that live in the tone of the character and story. The answer to whether these changes improve or take away from Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s story lies in the eye of the beholder. But, for the interested, here are the 10 biggest differences between Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series and the beloved Nickelodeon cartoon.

[image error]Aang’s Disappearance From the WorldNetflix

One literal change in the Avatar: The Last Airbender live-action series is that, unlike in the cartoon, viewers are shown the full Air Nomad Genocide. Like in the cartoon, the live-action sets the Air Nomad Genocide during the passing of Sozin’s comet. However, the series creates a celebratory festival around the event, thus bringing airbenders from across all air temples together for the Fire Nation to strike. This isn’t something we know to happen in the cartoon. Additionally, the Air Nomad elders elect to reveal to Aang that he is the Avatar just before the passing of Sozin’s Comet. That marks another difference in timeline between the Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon and the live-action. In the cartoon, Aang’s identity was revealed to him a good deal of time before the genocide.

These story shifts also lead to another critical difference between the Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon and the live-action series: the manner of Aang’s disappearance. In the cartoon, Aang decides to run away from the Southern Air Temple after overhearing that the Council of Elders wants to separate him from his mentor and friend Mong Gyatso, believing that Gyatso is impeding his Avatar journey. After he runs away, a storm catches Aang. He inadvertently encases himself in a sphere of ice for 100 years. Thus, the Avatar vanishes from the world. Once again, while this must have occurred temporally close to the Air Nomad genocide in the cartoon, it does not happen at precisely the same moment.

In the live-action, however, Aang does not rashly run away from his duties. Instead, he merely flies out on Appa to clear his head after learning he is the Avatar. This is an interesting shift because while Aang still feels guilt about his disappearance, the live-action narrative removes some of the agency Aang holds in the events. In the Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon, his decision to run away greatly haunts Aang, but in the live-action, the story alleviates this aspect of his guilt.

Katara’s Waterbending JourneyNetflix

Speaking with Nerdist, Katara’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender actress Kiawentiio summarized the key difference in Katara’s journey from cartoon to live-action. She shared, “In the original, she catches on like really quickly, and with her being the last waterbender of her tribe, even since she was little, in my eyes, it’s like how would she even know what movements to do? So I tried to bring that to the beginning; she doesn’t even know what she’s doing at all. She just kind of knows that it is there, and that’s what she’s supposed to do.”

And that is exactly the major difference between stories. In the cartoon, Katara has a strong natural affinity for waterbending from the beginning, without any instruction or guidance. But the live-action takes a more realistic approach to building her waterbending skills. Another small but nice difference between the Avatar cartoon and live-action is that a waterbending scroll, which appears in the cartoon via pirates, is instead passed down to Katara through Gran Gran. That minor shift adds a welcome element of generational connection.

The Avatar: The Last Airbender live-action also changes the cartoon idea that Aang and Katara learn how to waterbend together. Instead, waterbending is Katara’s solitary domain in season one. In a sense, this is a positive change because it allows the waterbending arcs to be more focused on Katara. However, bending together was how Katara and Aang bonded in the cartoon, so hopefully, we’ll see a bit more of that in the live-action Avatar‘s future.

Sokka’s Warrior Arc and Other Character Differences in the Avatar Live-Action SeriesNetflix

In the lead-up to Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s live-action release, there was a lot of conversation about whether “modernizing” early Sokka’s more sexist tendencies was a helpful change from the cartoon. While there are differences in Sokka from the cartoon Avatar to the live-acton, I would say the sexist aspects were changed appropriately. For instance, although Sokka is not so blatant in declaring women can’t be warriors, he is more than willing to inform a well-trained woman warrior that he, too, is a warrior. (Even though he isn’t really.) That change keeps the spirit of early cartoon Sokka, but presents it more subtly. That said, we are sad Sokka does not don the full Kyoshi warrior makeup. Although it is an idea that needs to be handled with care, the makeup being part of the warrior’s uniform does make a strong point.

Other chief changes in Sokka from cartoon to live-action lie in his warrior’s journey. The live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series, more than the cartoon, really emphasizes Sokka is a different kind of warrior than he imagined himself to be. In the cartoon, Sokka seems to become the operation’s brains and brawn. But in the live-action, the brain is clearly prioritized over the brawn. And that will make for an interesting future.

Additionally, the live-action highlights the absurdity of Sokka’s father, Hakoda, leaving Sokka as “the warrior” in charge of the Southern Water Tribe. And, while in the cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender series, it was Katara who was angry with Hakoda, in this iteration, it seems like it is Sokka and Hakoda who’ll have some future conflict.

The Absence of Sozin’s Comet Changes the Avatar: The Last Airbender Live-Action TimelineNetflix

This one is pretty straightforward, but a key difference between the Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon and its live-action series is the current lack of Sozin’s Comet. While the comet exists in the universe, season one does not indicate when it will fly back around. This change ensures the live-action series will not have to meet any specific real-world timelines. (E.G., it may take over a year to release a season two, and actors age, unlike cartoon characters.) But in terms of narrative, the lack of Sozin’s Comet completely opens up the series’ timeline, which in the cartoon had to take place within a year. We’ll have to wait and see how the live-action Avatar tackles this huge plot difference in seasons to come.

Aang’s Relationships with the Other Avatars, the Avatar State, and Avatar Powers Netflix

In the cartoon, it takes Aang a long time to understand his Avatar powers fully. But in the live-action, this timeline feels sped up. Early into the season, Aang meets Avatar Kyoshi in the Spirit World, and she lays several things out for him, marking a difference from the Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon.

The live-action establishes that Aang can contact other Avatars if he visits their shrines and meditates. And Aang reaches out and speaks to past Avatars, such as Kyoshi, Roku, and Kuruk, much more in the live-action than he does in the cartoon. The live-action also highlights an aspect of the Avatar State wherein past Avatars can take over Aang and battle on his behalf. This does occur in the cartoon but seems like a much more formalized process in the live-action. Overall, Aang seems to slip in and out of the Spirit World more easily than he did in the cartoon. Kyoshi also notes to him that he’ll be able to conquer the Avatar State when he has conquered all the bending disciplines. This is not necessarily established in the cartoon.

Netflix

Finally, the Avatar’s powers expand in live-action vs. in the cartoon, creating an interesting difference between the two. Avatar Kyoshi appears able to prophesize a battle with the Fire Nation at the North Pole. But the power of prophecy is not one the cartoon ever gave to the Avatar. We’ll have to wait and see if Aang can tap into this power as he continues his Avatar journey.

Azula Appears Earlier in the ATLA Live-ActionNetflix

Azula is so important that her live-action appearance gets its own article. But suffice it to say that we don’t have to wait until season two of the live-action to see the Fire Nation Princess in action. This live-action shift certainly makes for a welcome difference from the Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon.

Fire Lord Ozai Doesn’t Remove Zuko as Heir to the Fire Nation Throne and Zuko Fights Back During Their Agni KaiNetflix

A huge difference between the Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon and its live-action series is that we get to see much more of the Fire Nation royal family and their interactions in the live-action. For instance, Zuko and Fire Lord Ozai’s Agni Kai and its aftermath play out in-full on-screen. Another especially interesting change the Avatar live-action makes in this arena involves Zuko’s punishment. While Ozai does banish Zuko and tasks him with finding and capturing the Avatar, like in the cartoon, Zuko does not lose his position as heir to the throne in the live-action. This idea is not fully addressed in the cartoon but is emphasized several times in the live-action. It’s an interesting twist on the banishment because it offers Zuko hope while galvanizing Azula.

Netflix

Regarding Zuko and his father, one other noteworthy change happens during the Agni Kai between Ozai and Zuko. In the live-action, Zuko actually fights back against his father and even gets the upper hand, but he doesn’t use the opening to attack in earnest. In the cartoon, of course, Zuko refuses to fight at all. Fire Lord Ozai ends up very displeased in both scenarios.

Zuko and Commander Zhao’s Changed RelationshipNetflix

In the Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon, Zuko and Commander Zhao have an immensely antagonistic relationship, implying they share a conflicted past. Although this might have just been for optics, Zhao was present during Zuko and Ozai’s Agni Kai in the cartoon. The live-action rebuilds Zhao and Zuko a little differently. Zhao no longer appears to be a Fire Nation noble or anyone of note at all. He’s much less domineering and overtly villainous.

Instead, Zhao takes his place among the ranks of slimier and more cunning fictional adversaries. He ends up being more like Wormtongue than a Disney villain. At first, unlike in the cartoon, live-action Zhao pretends to want to help Zuko capture the Avatar. But, bolstered by Azula, quickly attempts to shut the Prince out of the fold. The live-action additionally reveals Zhao has ambitions to be Fire Lord, something the cartoon never mentions.

Netflix

Interestingly, the cartoon implies Zhao is an exceptionally strong firebender, making Zuko’s various defeats of him even more impressive. However, this is not mentioned in the live-action. Zuko and Zhao do come to blows in the final episode, though. And Zhao drops some hard truths on Zuko that he never does in the cartoon. Additionally, in the live-action, Uncle Iroh kills Zhao, whereas in the cartoon, Aang, who is possessed by the spirit of the ocean, does the deed. In the cartoon, Zuko actually reaches for Zhao, trying to save him at the last. But this does not happen in the live-action. Although some small details must change, this difference between the Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon and live-action is sad for me. The reach out for Zhao spoke volumes about Zuko’s character.

A Greater Focus on the Tragedy of War and ResistanceNetflix

The final major difference between the Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon and the live-action series lies in the live-action’s overall tone and focus. Although many of the events are the same between the two versions of Avatar, the live-action takes a more serious look at the world’s facts. Although the cartoon is a light-hearted and silly show, it creates a story full of war and oppression. The live-action recognizes these truths more fully. It places a greater focus on the tragedy and pain of wartime, as well as on the acts of resistance that rise everywhere to fight for freedom, up to and including within the oppressing nation. While this change in tonality might surprise some long-time Avatar fans, it definitely makes sense.

Other Miscellaneous Changes of Interest in the Live-ActionNetflix

In addition to the major changes detailed above, we’ll mention a few other interesting shifts quickly. First, Aang’s relationship with Monk Gyatso became much more critical to his journey, and Aang even reunites with the monk in the Spirit World. (Which he does not do in the cartoon.) Second, the live-action combines many of the Earth Kingdom’s stand-alone cartoon episodes. Jet, the Mechanist and Teo, King Bumi, the Earth Kingdom nomad singers (of “Secret Tunnel” fame), and more, are all brought together in a couple of Omashu-focused episodes. Third, Zuko keeps a diary, I mean, a journal, of all his Avatar findings, and it is so cute. Fourth, Zuko does not steal Katara’s necklace, which I, for one, felt robbed of.

Netflix

Finally, the men on Zuko’s ship in exile are actually from the 41st division, which young Zuko spoke up to save when Fire Lord Ozai was willing to sacrifice them. In return for saving their lives, Zuko was banished. Ozai stationed the men on his ship as a punishment, but it was actually a true gift. What a beautiful twist!

To learn about all the other differences that arise between the cartoon and live-action, you’ll have to check out Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender series, now streaming.

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THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES Trailer Brings the YA Fantasy Series to Life Again

Despite massive success with their adaptation of the Percy Jackson YA novel series, Disney+ chose to not release their other live-action series based on popular fantasy books. Despite being fully completed, Disney+ shelved the entire first season of The Spiderwick Chronicles, based on the novels by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. Luckily for fans, this won’t be another Batgirl situation, as Disney chose to sell the completed first season to Roku. Now, we have a trailer for The Spiderwick Chronicles, a lush-looking fantasy series with a great cast. You can watch the full trailer right here.

The series has some big-name talent attached. Among the cast are Christian Slater, Jack Dylan Grazer, Lyon Daniels, Noah Cottrell, Joy Bryant, and Mychala Lee. Although Disney developed the series, it actually comes from Paramount Television Studios and 20th Television. In the post-Harry Potter and Twilight wave of YA novel adaptations, The Spiderwick Chronicles received a film in 2008. But the movie didn’t live up to the book, and so a long-form series came about years later. This is similar to what happened with Percy Jackson, although that film received two entries before making the switch to streaming series.

Roku Channel

The Spiderwick Chronicles definitely does not look like it was a cheap series to produce, judging from the teaser trailer. Even if it finds its audience, it will be interesting to see if The Spiderwick Chronicles can maintain the same budget and production value for a potential second season. Hopefully, this does not wind up like Minx, the Max series which they canceled once its second season finished filming. The streamer sold the series to Starz, which aired the sophomore season with little fanfare before cancelling it months later.

What Is the Release Date for The Spiderwick Chronicles?

Hopefully, The Spiderwick Chronicles has a better outcome, as the novels have a legion of devoted fans. Thankfully, we won’t have to wait long for this series. It isset to debut all eight episodes on April 19.

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DUNE: Everything You Need to Remember From Part 1

The sleeper has awakened, Dune fans! With Dune: Part 2 just around the corner, Nerdist’s resident Dunatic Matt Caron is here to break down everything you need to remember before returning to Arrakis!

Editor’s note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks

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MORBIUS Arrives on Disney+ on March 1

Morbius and now Madame Web were Sony’s follow-ups to Venom for their Spider-Man-less Spider-Man cinematic Universe. Let’s just say that neither of these films set the world on fire. And yet, Morbius does have some fans out there. Sure, most of them love the movie starring Jared Leto as “the living vampire” in an ironic way. Yet they love it regardless. Well, it will soon be “Morbin’ time” for them on Disney+. The streamer has announced that Morbius is premiering on the platform on March 1.

Sony

Morbius is the latest Sony Spider-Man-adjacent film to debut on Disney+, as part of an arrangement between Sony and Disney. Currently, the original Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy can be found there, as well as the two Marc Webb Amazing Spider-Man films. Two of the three MCU/Sony collaborations, Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home, have a home on the platform too. So does Venom starring Tom Hardy. At some point, Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Spider-Man: No Way Home will land on Disney+. Probably once licensing deals with other streaming services end. We’re not sure if this deal includes both animated Spider-Verse films, which are currently on Netflix.

Once Venom was a huge success back in 2018, Morbius was step two in Sony’s “independent from the MCU Spider-Man-centric universe.” But where Venom was a huge character at Marvel Comics with a significant fanbase, Michael Morbius was not. The character faced an uphill battle trying to get audiences to care about a solo film starring the character. Especially without introducing him as a Spider-Man villain first. If the upcoming Kraven the Hunter film doesn’t land, we think it will be time for Sony to seriously rethink their strategy of making an entire Spider-Man universe that doesn’t contain any Spider-Man in it. In the meantime, you’ll soon be able to watch Morbius on Disney+, and bask in all the ‘Morbin.

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AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER Cast Pick Their Live-Action Pets!

Avatar: The Last Airbender live action stars Gordon Cormier (Aang), Dallas Liu (Zuko), Kiawentiio (Katara), Ian Ousley (Sokka), Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (Uncle Iroh), and Daniel Dae Kim (Fire Lord Ozai) sit down with Nerdist’s Ro Rusak (@Moondancer1626) to talk about bringing the animated series to life, making the characters their own, and what real life Avatar pet they would choose!

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KINGMAKERS Game Trailer Brings Modern Guns to a Medieval Knife Fight

“Don’t bring a knife to a gunfight” is really solid advice, but what about its inverse? What about bringing a gun to a knife fight? That’s exactly what you’ll get to do with publisher tinyBuild and developer Redemption Road Games upcoming third-person shooter strategy game Kingmakers. Its sending you back in time to wage war with modern day weapons. And the game’s new trailer shows that driving around medieval England in a beat-up pickup with 21st century items is an easy way to reign supreme in a fantasy world.

Gamers will soon be able to travel 500 years into the past without giving up any of their modern amenities thanks to Kingmakers. The sandbox strategy/shooter places you in the middle of “massive war-torn medieval battles.” There you can “build, lead, fight,” and alter events forever, all while also possibly stopping the apocalypse. Here’s the official synopsis from Redemption Road Games:

Go back in time to a war-torn medieval era with a vast arsenal of modern weapons, change the course of history, and save the future in this epic action/strategy sandbox. Build your kingdom, grab a gun, and lead an army of thousands into massive, real-time simulated battles — solo or in co-op.

Redemption Road Games

Players will get to take on an entire army of swordsman in real-time battles. You’ll wage war with “assault rifles, shotguns, grenade launchers, armored SUVs, bikes, attack helos, air strikes, and more.” You don’t have to do that alone, either. The game allows you to have as many as three friends join their armies with yours in an online co-op mode.

Gamers can also switch between engaging in direct combat or merely issuing orders any time they want. That way you can play as many different ways as you like, from being right in the middle of the fray to trusting your subordinates to help you conquer this violent world. But while Kingmakers will send you to the past, it won’t come out until the near future. It arrives on PC via Steam sometime in 2024.

Until then we can probably guess what happens when you bring a gun to a knife fight. Based on this trailer it’s a lot of fun.

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NIGHT COUNTRY’s Finale Fixed TRUE DETECTIVE Season 1’s Biggest Mistake

True Detective‘s first season is one of television’s best ever, but it’s not perfect. While the show more than delivered on its emotional promise, it failed to deliver on its plot’s. The finale revealed the series’ supernatural elements, so important throughout the first seven episodes, weren’t real. Rust Cohle’s visions were only figments of his imagination, and Carcosa was merely a house of human horrors rather than the realm of an evil god. It was a disappointing development because that paranormal aspect was a big part of what had made the show special. Abandoning that entirely and without warning at the very end was a mistake. That’s a mistake True Detective: Night Country did not repeat. Its finale delivered on season one’s promise by embracing True Detective‘s most powerful ideas about life while still leaving open the possibility there truly is “something out there.”

HBO

Time might be a flat circle, but True Detective is not. Night Country‘s conclusion gave us something previous seasons hadn’t. It leaned into its mystical side rather than rejecting it. Until its fourth installment, True Detective always ended by ultimately rooting every resolution and mystery in the terrestrial plane. The show frequently teased the presence of supernatural forces, but everything that took place always had an entirely normal, human explanation to explain it.

That isn’t inherently bad. It actually stands as one of the series’ best recurring themes. It would be easy, even comforting, to blame paranormal forces for our actions. Putting the onus for our own atrocities entirely on us forces us to face what we’re capable of. That’s brutal and unforgiving, yet honest. It’s also an idea that is inherently better than the alternative. If the Yellow King or the “she” of Ennis aren’t real, we don’t have to fight them to make things better. We also don’t need to rely on their opposites to save us. The only evil we need to triumph over is our worst selves, and we’re a much less imposing enemy than a supernatural being. We’re also much more loving and forgiving than they could ever be.

HBO

True Detective: Night Country didn’t abandon that powerful idea. The finale revealed the scientists of the Tsalal station killed Annie Kowtok. An amoral CEO and desperate cop then covered up that heinous crime for their own gain. And the women of Ennis got justice for Annie K. when they drove those same men out into the snow. It wasn’t an evil god in the permafrost directing the townsfolk, it was their own conscience (or lack thereof). The only forces at work in the darkness were entirely human forces. Ambition, anger, greed, and vengeance are the realm of mankind.

What made Night Country‘s finale different than its counterparts is what also made it the show’s most satisfying ending yet. It did all of that without closing the door on the chance there’s more to existence than only this world and us. The fourth season used ambiguity to say more, that we might be part of something much bigger than ourselves as Rust Cohle thought. It’s “something” that goes beyond the events of small towns in Alaska and Louisiana. The skeptic Danvers saw strange, unexplained visions, same as Ennis’ true believers. The show also refused to tell us exactly how those men died in the snow, how Annie’s tongue showed up at the station, or why voices and spirits called out to Navarro to tell her things she couldn’t plausibly know otherwise.

HBO

Night Country even refused to tell us what really happened to the missing Evangeline after she walked out onto the ice one more time. Did she finally join her mother and sister in the afterlife? Have the people of Ennis seen her spirit since she, the way Rose saw the dead Travis Cohle walking the ice? Did Evangeline appear on Danvers’ porch in the show’s beautiful last moment because she will forever be a part of Ennis and her old partner’s life the way Danvers’ late son watches over his mother? Or was Trooper Navarro actually alive and merely fulfilling the promise she made to return to her friend?

We don’t know and we never will, because True Detective, for the first time, refused to give us hard answers. It held us responsible for our actions while still saying there might truly be life beyond our world. Maybe ghosts are real. Maybe they aren’t. Same for the afterlife. It’s up to you to believe what you want for the reasons you believe.

HBO

That’s as honest as saying we’re to blame for what we do. We all live with the unknown. Whether you firmly believe in supernatural forces or not, none of us can definitively prove what awaits us (or doesn’t) when we die. The best many of us can do is hope our loved ones aren’t truly gone when they leave us. Maybe they’re waiting for us to leave this plane, so full of pain, so we can join them forever in another one where death no longer matters. In that way maybe time is a flat circle, only that’s a good thing. We’re not trapped forever in a nightmare as Rust Cohle feared. Instead we’re forever with those we care about. Until we find out, however, we have to navigate the existence we have now the best we can.

In that way Night Country remained intimately connected to True Detective season one, which also provided a moving conclusion for its characters. The first season ended with an injured Rust telling his partner Marty Hart what happened as he was dying. Rust said he felt his late daughter and father’s presence in the darkness. That feeling gave him comfort before he returned to the land of the living.

HBO

Was that just another false vision or something more? It didn’t matter, just as it doesn’t matter if Evangeline is still alive or not. Because while the chance “something” more exists beyond the world makes for a more compelling show, True Detective endures because of what it has always said about being alive. To live is to feel pain. Not only do we do terrible things to one another all the time, everyone we know and love will eventually die anyway. There’s a darkness to life we can never escape. But just as darkness cannot exist without light, evil cannot exist on its own. There is good in a universe where we are not alone. That’s something Rust Cohle, a man who feared an eternity trapped in a nightmare, realized during season one’s last moment.

As his friend helped him walk, Rust looked at the stars in the night sky, just as he once had in Alaska with his dad Travis. He’d realized there’s only real story of life, the oldest, a story of “light versus dark.”

Marty looked up and thought the dark had a lot more territory, but Rust told his friend he was looking at it all wrong. Rust said, “Once there was only dark. You ask me, the light’s winning.” Night Country‘s ambiguous finale, where light—through love, friendship, and hope—shone through so much darkness, said the same thing, just in its own way. In Ennis and everywhere else there’s a light that can be impossible to see if you can’t believe it’s there, but if you do “something” out there offers hope that one day we’ll say hello to those we once had to big goodbye.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on   Twitter and   Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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Concept Art for BATMAN BEYOND Animated Film Gives Us SPIDER-VERSE Vibes

For years, fans have been clamoring for some kind of revival of Batman Beyond on the big screen, either in live-action or animation. The animated series, which turns 25 this year, retains a loyal following. DC Comics has even incorporated its characters and concepts into the comics. Well, a creative from Sony’s Spider-Verse films, along with writer/artist Patrick Harpin, actually did pitch a Batman Beyond animated film months ago and some of the gorgeous concept art is online. Spider-Verse production designer Yukhi Demers shared some of that art for the pitch via Twitter. In it, you can see Batman fighting off his adversary Inque. He’s hoping that it gets some traction and maybe the powers-that-be decide it’s worth a go.

5 months ago Patrick Harpin walked into @wbpictures @DCofficial and pitched a 𝘉𝘢𝘵𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘉𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 Animated Feature.

Before we pitched, they warned us "there is absolutely no way we can do a 𝘉𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 movie", but they loved our enthusiasm. We pitched the outline for the… pic.twitter.com/1mhFyu6NUp

— Yuhki Demers (@yuhkidemers) February 20, 2024

In his post Demers said, “Before we pitched, they warned us, ‘there is absolutely no way we can do a 𝘉𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 movie’, but they loved our enthusiasm. We pitched the outline for the entire film, and what started as a ‘never’ turned into a ‘maybe’. In the time since, we’ve been pitching our way up the company hoping to get to James Gunn. This means it never made it to the proper offices of DC Studios. But there’s no way Gunn doesn’t see this now, and see the intense enthusiasm for such a project. Especially if it’s coming from the people behind Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse.“

DC Comics

Batman Beyond takes place in a relatively near future, where Gotham City has become Neo-Gotham, a futuristic amalgam of Blade Runner’s Los Angeles and Akira’s Neo-Tokyo. Average Gotham teenager Terry McGinnis loses his father to a violent crime, and falls under the mentorship of an elder Bruce Wayne. Long retired from crime-fighting, Wayne trains Terry to be the new Batman, wearing a high-tech futuristic suit.

While we’ve long clamored for a live-action Batman Beyond with Michael Keaton as the elder Wayne. However, we’d take the very same concept in animation. Hopefully, seeing these Batman Beyond animated art images alerts someone at DC Studios this chance is too good to pass up.

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Peacock and Paramount+ Are Considering a Streaming Merger

Get ready for Mountcock+… Or is that ParaPea? Whatever the appropriate portmanteau, there’s more “streaming is becoming cable” news for us to read with a sigh today. According to The Wall Street Journal, Paramount Global and Comcast have discussed merging streamers Paramount+ and Peacock. Honestly, it feels like there’s some sense to be had here because people are often confusing the two P-titled streamers. But name recognition is probably not why these discussions are on the table. As the number of new subscribers available starts to wane, streamers are searching for new ways to make money.

Peacock/Paramount+

As The Wall Street Journal shares of this possible union between Peacock and Paramount+, “Bringing the two streaming apps under one roof could produce significant cost savings—from spending on programming to marketing—and create a more in-depth offering for consumers, especially with regard to live sports. A commercial partnership or joint venture are among the arrangements the companies could pursue.”

Companies always name-check consumer benefits when it comes to changes in streaming. But, right now, whether consumers benefit even a little from streaming shenanigans seems like an unclear prospect. Still, merging feels somewhat better than more ads or price increases. But, although it feels ridiculous as a concept, steps like a potential merger between Paramount+ and Peacock constantly take the industry one step back toward cable. Is that good? Is that bad? It’s hard to say. Cable felt stable, if expensive. Now, everything just feels wild.

Peacock

It’s unclear whether this merge between Paramount+ and Peacock will actually happen. Paramount+ has also reportedly spoken to Max and Apple TV+ about a potential unification. We guess we’ll have to wait and see how this shakes out. However, it feels like the future is already written in the cards. The question is more just who eventually will control all streaming channels. Hopefully someone with only consumer benefits in mind…

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X-MEN ’97 Sets Release Date, Trailer Resurrects THE ANIMATED SERIES’ Story

On September 20, 1997, a dying Charles Xavier said goodbye to his fellow mutants. That left them to navigate a dangerous world without their wise leader. At least they would have had to if Fox hadn’t canceled X-Men: The Animated Series. What awaited Cyclops, Storm, Wolverine, Beast, and the rest with the Professor? We’re finally going to find out. At long last, the show’s highly-anticipated Disney reboot, Marvel Animation’s X-Men ’97, has both a trailer and a release date.

It also has a surprise new owner of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.

X-Men ’97 Picks Up Where The Animated Series Left Off

Bust out your best pogs and crack open a can of Surge soda cause the ’90s are back. X-Men: The Animated Series will get to resume its story on Disney+ with X-Men ’97. The show’s first trailer picks up right where the old series left off, too. The death of Professor X means the team needs a new leader to emerge. They’ll also be forced to deal with an old enemy who will now have an even bigger role in their lives. Charles Xavier left everything he had to none other than Magneto.

That will make for a whole lot of fun. For us. That will be fun for us, not the X-Men.

Marvel StudiosX-Men ’97 Will Not Be a Part of the MCU

Beau DeMayo confirms that 'X-MEN '97' is not canon to the #MCU. pic.twitter.com/EPpLHa2xpc

— X-Men Updates (@XMenUpdate) February 19, 2024

For the curious, X-Men ’97‘s head writer, Beau DeMayo confirmed on Instagram that X-Men ’97 would not be a part of the MCU’s continuity. He replied, “We are our own thing,” while answering a question that pondered whether the series would be canon to the MCU.

The Series‘ Cast and Production Team

Disney also announced the cast for the show. X-Men ’97 stars: Ray Chase as Cyclops, Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey, Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm, Cal Dodd as Wolverine, JP Karliak as Morph, Lenore Zann as Rogue, George Buza as Beast, AJ LoCascio as Gambit, Holly Chou as Jubilee, Isaac Robinson-Smith as Bishop, Matthew Waterson as Magneto, and Adrian Hough as Nightcrawler. Theo James also joins the cast in a mysterious role.

Jake Castorena, Chase Conley, and Emi Yonemura serve as the ten-episode season’s directors, with Beau DeMayo on as head writer.

New episodes, new era.

Marvel Animation’s #XMen97, streaming March 20 on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/8ENmkv7F6B

— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) February 15, 2024

When Is X-Men ’97‘s Release Date?

Despite this being the first trailer for a reboot more than 25 years in the making, we won’t have to wait long to see its first episode. X-Men ’97 premieres on Disney+ on March 20.

Obviously, mutants are just as eager to resume their story as we are to see what happens to them next.

Originally published on February 15, 2024.

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