Why Avatar: Seven Havens Is More Than Just A Franchise Spin-Off
A Franchise's Resurgence
During the height of 2020, Avatar: The Last Airbender, the first entry in the Avatar series, was added to Netflix for people around the world to stream. Fans of the show, many of whom hadn't seen it since they were children, sat down to reembark on the journey of Aang, the Avatar, and his friends as they battled to end a war that had devastated their world. In addition to veteran fans of the show, the streaming service introduced the story to an entirely new audience, and the show gained a level of popularity it hadn't experienced in years. Seemingly overnight, a franchise that had been steadily catering to its original fan base following the completion of Avatar's sequel series, Avatar: The Legend of Korra, through books focusing on characters that had briefly appeared on the show and comics that continued Aang and his friends' story, became the new obsession of thousands of new fans. Unsurprisingly, Avatar rose to No.1 on Netflix.
Due to the growing popularity and increasing demand for more stories set in the Avatar universe, Nickelodeon launched Avatar Studios in 2021, led by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the creators of the series. Through strategy, Nickelodeon was able to capitalize on both nostalgia and the brand's resurgence in the cultural zeitgeist. In addition to the graphic novels and books that were steadily being published before the studio's inception, a new film and now a new series were announced to keep fans captivated, allowing Paramount to continue to expand the IP across multiple platforms.
Each iteration of the Avatar series features, you guessed it, the Avatar, who varies in each installment because the main character reincarnates into the individual whose journey we follow during that story. Seven Havens, which centers on the new Avatar, a young girl named Pavi, is the first series in the Avatar franchise to be created by Avatar Studios. Even though there are two other series supporting it, with The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, Seven Havens will serve as a test to see if the franchise can sustain its momentum.
Building with Intent
While fans were divided over the sequel series to The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra, part of that division came from the franchise's original momentum slowing down because some fans couldn't connect with the new cast of characters, the mix of old and new audiences, and the constantly changing schedule for episode airings in the final season. Additionally, The Legend of Korra gained renewed attention when it was added to Netflix shortly after its parent series experienced increased success during the streaming era. With that in mind, Nickelodeon has the opportunity to reinforce Paramount+ as the only place to stream the episodes of Seven Havens once they air, since the Avatar series tends to have the most success when fans can watch the episodes in order and not at random like other episodes of non-storied serialized cartoon shows on Nickelodeon, such as SpongeBob SquarePants.
What makes the Avatar series stand out from other franchises that have suffered from endless sequels and reboots, which tire out viewers, is that the Avatar franchise has a built-in system in its story that allows fans to expect more without it feeling like "too much.'
Since each series is meant to introduce entirely new characters and expand the existing story and lore, fans don't need to watch characters and settings go through endless cycles. The series is designed to encourage viewers to return and see what happens next after the adventures of the previous cast, seen through the eyes of a new character. Not many franchises can do this without upsetting a significant part of their fan base, and that's part of what makes the Avatar franchise so unique. You go into each series expecting the cast you've grown familiar with to be in the background or absent from the story entirely.
Avatar: Seven Havens, while a new chapter in the series, symbolizes new beginnings and an opportunity for Avatar Studios, Nickelodeon, and Paramount to show that the streaming success the franchise achieved in 2020 was more than just a milestone. It's a chance to prove to critics and fans alike that the same magic and storytelling they loved are proof that creators can produce content everyone can enjoy and connect with, if they are given the space to breathe and, who would've guessed it, create.
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