“Soulless Bastards”: Avatar: The Last Airbender Star Calls Out Paramount’s Leadership

Avatar: The Last Airbender star Greg Baldwin goes scorched earth on Paramount over its treatment of the iconic franchise.

The acclaimed animated fantasy action series debuted on February 21, 2005, and concluded on July 19, 2008, after three seasons and 61 episodes. Considered one of the greatest TV shows of all time, Avatar: The Last Airbender spawned a media franchise, including a comic book series, two video games, and a much-maligned live-action movie.

Baldwin, who voiced fire-bending Uncle Iroh in Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3, took to X to post a furious diatribe calling out Paramount and its treatment of the franchise, in the wake of the cancelation of the planned upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender RPG video game.

Baldwin began his explosive rant by claiming he’s too old now to hold back on saying what he thinks, opening by stating, “Hard truth… I can speak freely because I’m 65 years old and my pocketful of f**ks is seriously depleted.” Baldwin bucked the Hollywood trend of (occasionally) toxic positivity by announcing his true feelings on the matter.

He went on to detail his credentials as a paralegal for over three decades, putting him in close proximity with studio heads, before stating how they “Shouldn’t be allowed near anything remotely creative.” While this isn’t an uncommon position for an actor to take, it’s generally not the kind of thing most stars would post on social media. Baldwin continued his viral rant by naming Paramount and claiming their new regime is “straight up evil. I assure you.” He concluded by stating:

These soulless bastards have nothing but contempt for a show about grace and redemption and the struggle against fascism. ATLA is a mystery to them. They. Do. Not. Value. The. Franchise.

It is unusual to see a star taking such overt aim at a studio over their treatment of an IP, and many will find Baldwin’s outburst a breath of fresh air. The actor clearly feels that his advanced years mean he has already enjoyed a long and successful career to date, and that any backlash is not going to have too damaging an impact.

Furthermore, much of what Baldwin said echoes the sentiments of much of the Avatar fanbase, with the idea that Paramount does not really understand the franchise, or what to do with it, a long-held fear among fans. While the cancelation of the game will have little impact on the legacy of the series, it is considered another setback for the franchise.

Paramount’s handling of one of the most beloved IPs in television history has brought with it plenty of scorn. And the upcoming movie Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender, which takes place after the animated series, has come in for criticism following Paramount’s decision to completely replace the cast.

Looking at how well received the original Avatar series was, and how the franchise has unfolded in the years since, it is easy to agree with a lot of what Baldwin says. How much the outburst might impact his career moving forward is unclear, but there is a good chance many will share his views, and this could prompt Paramount to re-examine how they treat Avatar: The Last Airbender.