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Published Sep 9, 2026, 8:30 AM EDT
Michael Dante DiMartino and his two EPs explain how the Avatarverse got here
When Avatar: Seven Havens, the second sequel series to Last Airbender, arrives to Paramount Plus on Oct. 9, it won’t pick up where The Legend of Korra left off. Not even close. Creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino are sending the Avatar franchise somewhere it has never gone before: a future where the world has been ravaged by a mysterious cataclysm, the boundaries between the physical and spirit worlds have been shattered, and the Avatar is no longer automatically regarded as humanity’s savior.
But just how far into the future? Polygon got a few answers in time for our big 2026 Fall Preview.
The new series follows Pavi, a young Earthbender who discovers she is the latest Avatar as she navigates the scattered settlements of a civilization that has very good reason to be afraid of what she represents. Even the setting, from the Moebius-inspired city of Ellora to the series’ striking new visual language courtesy of Paris-based Chouette Studios, signals this isn’t simply another chapter in the familiar Avatar world. Based on what Konietzko and DiMartino discussed at SDCC earlier this year, and what we saw in the first trailer, Pavi’s journey will eventually force her to reckon with the strange legacy of the Avatar before her.
Ready for a little more background? We pitched DiMartino and executive producers Ethan Spaulding and Sehaj Sethi a few burning questions over email, and they whetted our appetite for details. No spoilers, but fun teases ahead.
Polygon: How did you land on this particular setting/time jump or did it start with the character?
Michael Dante DiMartino: When Bryan and I came back to Nickelodeon to start Avatar Studios, we had ideas for several different projects and one of them was a new series about the earthbending Avatar after Korra. This was in early 2021, so about six years after the Legend of Korra's Book 4 finale had aired.
This idea started with the setting and the desire to drop the viewer into a world that had experienced a cataclysmic event. Then we threw around ideas for what kind of Avatar would make the most sense in this world. We settled on Pavi, a girl who lives in hiding and who is younger than both Aang and Korra. We thought it would be interesting to place this kind-hearted character into a world that was not only on the brink of collapse, but whose citizens reviled the Avatar.
The choice to make her such an underdog gave us a lot of potential drama that could sustain a series. Early on, we also decided we wanted this to be more of a mystery show than the last two series, so that a viewer would enter the story with a lot of questions: How did the world get so bad? Why does everyone hate the Avatar? How did Pavi lose her leg? We want the audience to always hunger to know more.
How many years after Korra does Avatar: Seven Havens take place?
Sehaj Sethi: Avatar: Seven Havens takes place about 225 years after Legend of Korra ends. While the world is very fantastical, it is still greatly influenced by AAPI and Indigenous cultures and histories. For example, the name Ellora is inspired by the ancient Indian complex of monasteries and temples known as the Ellora Caves. Just as this ancient complex is a harmonious mix of several religious practices (Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism), Ellora (along with the other Havens) is a harmonious blend of all bending practices.
Ethan Spaulding: Viewers will notice Seven Havens has more of a fantasy look to the overall look of the Havens and clothing; there has been a blending of cultures during the time span since the previous series. The real-world elements are still there in a less obvious way.
What can you tease about Ellora as a new home for the Avatar? What kind of city is it compared to what fans have seen in the past?
Sethi: Ellora is a sprawling metropolis set within a system of slot canyons, which creates a natural defensive barrier against the vicious sandstorms and tornadoes that attack the landscape just outside of Ellora’s borders.
Spaulding: Ellora is a massive Haven with a population estimated at a million plus! Ellora’s design is based on survival. Most of the structures are shielded from the constant storms that have been ravaging the planet since the cataclysm. Aside from the city center, which is exposed, most of Ellora’s population is tucked safely within slot canyons.
Sethi: Like each of our Havens, Ellora is a melting pot of all bending philosophies and cultures. What binds Ellorans together is an ideology focused on endurance and protection, which leads to their motto: “For the survival of Ellora.” Because Ellorans are so focused on survival, the rumor of the Avatar (considered the world’s destroyer) living in their midst leads to mass fear and panic. This gives Pavi’s story very high stakes. If her true identity is revealed, it could be disastrous.
Avatar: Seven Havens premieres on Oct. 9 on Paramount Plus.
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