The fantasy world is in a strange limbo at the moment, as many of the genre’s most prominent releases grapple with a series of persistent issues.
Netflix’s adaptation of The Witcher remains in hot water among its fans, as people continue to digest the loss of Henry Cavill’s Geralt. The actor was singularly popular in the role, a fact that his fans and colleagues alike agree on. He was recently graced with a shining, but poorly timed, compliment from The Witcher: Blood Origin star Michelle Yeoh, who noted Cavill’s influence on the character.
Then there’s James Cameron’s latest Avatar film, which isn’t even out yet. That isn’t stopping Avatar: The Last Airbender fans from resuscitating a grudge more than a decade old, however. They’ve been irate about the director’s co-opting of the Avatar name for years now, and the impending release of The Way of Water is reviving the years-old debate.
Yet another fantasy release is dredging up negative memories, as fans return to beat the dead horse that is the final Chronicles of Narnia film. Each of the Narnia releases are middling, at best, but the film that capped off the unsteady franchise served as the final nail in its coffin.
Viewers are still angry about The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
None of the Chronicles of Narnia films hit the ball out of the park, but the weakest film in the franchise is inarguably The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The third and final Narnia film is an utterly tedious release that thoroughly failed to live up to even the mildest of hype. It was never popular, but fans are returning to the franchise-killing release more than a decade later to once again drag it through the mud.
The Last Airbender fans aren’t surrendering the Avatar name to James Cameron without a fight
Fans of Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender were shocked, then disappointed, when a similarly-named film was announced back in 2009. James Cameron’s Avatar films are entirely separate from the animated Nick series, but the resemblance between the two franchise names continues to spark confusion. The conversation is once again taking over social media as fans of the beloved animated show consider yet more parallels — like part two’s “water” emphasis — and blast Cameron for co-opting the name.
Michelle Yeoh praises Henry Cavill just as he exits The Witcher
Michelle Yeoh, who recently debuted in her own Witcher project, is praising Henry Cavill as the reason she enjoyed Netflix’s adaptation of the story. She lauded Cavill for making the show “come to life,” and said “ I love the series because of Henry.” She quickly pivoted to note her enthusiasm for incoming Geralt Liam Hemsworth as well, pointing out that “there’s always something to look forward to,” but most fans are still too salty about the recasting to share her optimism.