Never speak to me about anything called “Avatar,” unless you’re going to immediately clarify whether we are talking about blue people or a bald boy. Having worked in the entertainment journalism industry for more than 15 years, I’ve developed an eye twitch over this frequent point of confusion. Referring to James Cameron’s franchise as “Papyrus Avatar” is also acceptable.

Avatar: The Last Airbender originally began airing on Nickelodeon in 2005 and was an instant hit. James Cameron’s first Avatar movie arrived in theaters a few years later in 2009, and remains the highest-grossing movie of all time at just over $2.9 billion. I prefer the animated series, but nobody can deny the cultural impact of the movie and the unsteady stream of sequels projected to continue through the apocalypse. But I resent James Cameron for the persistent headache that is the overlap between these two franchises, especially because both just seem to keep going. Neither one has faded in our cultural memory over the years as sequels, adaptations, and video games continue to be released even today.

That’s why it’s time for Benders and the Na’vi to duke it out in the ring. That’s right, I want to see a direct sequel........

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