Avatar: The Last Airbender star says there’s “no point” in remaking cartoon

One Avatar: The Last Airbender star has stated that there’s “no point” in remaking the original cartoon – but that doesn’t mean fans should start panicking.

It’s a tale as old as time – a beloved show or animation is abruptly brought back into the present day via an adaptation that half of its original fans are dubious of in the first place.

The same can arguably be said about Avatar: The Last Airbender, following in the footsteps of other Netflix fantasy-animation springboards such as One Piece and The Witcher.

While fans have been divided over whether the cartoon needed adapting in the first place, one Avatar: The Last Airbender star now claims there’s “no point” in remaking the show like for like.

Paul Sun-Hyung Lee says Avatar: The Last Airbender is a “remix”

Avatar: The Last Airbender star Paul Sun-Hyung Lee – who plays Uncle Iroh – has stated that there’s “no point” in remaking the original cartoon during an interview with Dexerto.

Released back in 2005, Nickelodeon’s take on Avatar ran for three seasons until 2008, covering a great deal of lore, backstory, and side quests. Even before Netflix’s “remix” was released, fans noticed a great deal of changes proposed by the show’s new creators, including deviations from Sozin’s Comet, inherent sexism, and extra plots themselves.

The plan was for the new Avatar to become a more streamlined and accessible version of the animation, with its cast implying that many of the changes have been necessary.

“The pressure is real, like you feel that. I’m a fan too, so I get it,” Lee explained. “I look at the forums and I feel the heat sometimes. But I think one of the big things about this production is it pays respect and homage to the source material, there’s tremendous care there. This is a remix, not a cover song. This was Albert Kim, who’s a showrunner. He speaks to this franchise’s original fans. They can be rest assured that these characters are respected and that we stay true to them.

“But this is an adaptation. We’re not doing a one-to-one recreation of the animated series. There’s no point to that. But there’s a familiarity, care, and a genuine authenticity to these characters. Most of the storylines that original fans will know recognize be familiar with. Certain characters are brought in a little bit earlier. Things that aren’t adaptable from animation to real life are changed. But there’s enough new material that original fans will be happy and excited about it.”

Lee also praised what Netflix has done for uniting hardcore Avatar fans with those who are newly introduced to the storyline, explaining that both ends of the spectrum should be well satisfied.

“One of the things as a fan that I love is sharing the things that I love with other new fans and creating it, growing the fan base – that’s what real fans want to do. They want to share what they love with new people. And I think we’ve done that with the show.”

All episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender are currently available to stream on Netflix.