In his latest appearance on “Saturday Night Live” on April 13, Ryan Gosling revived his iconic sketch about the font choice for the “Avatar” movie franchise logo, showing that his character, Steven, still harbors deep resentment towards the designer responsible for using Papyrus.
The original sketch, titled “Papyrus,” aired in 2017 and depicted Steven’s ongoing struggle with the font choice, which he deemed thoughtless and unprofessional. Now, with the release of “Avatar: The Way of Water” in 2022, Gosling’s character is forced to confront his font-related trauma once again in “Papyrus 2.”
During a dental procedure, Steven inadvertently watches the sequel and discovers that while the font has changed, it’s still not up to his standards. Enraged by the revelation that the logo designer simply made the font bold, Steven embarks on a mission to confront the culprit.
At a Disney Graphics Awards Ball, Steven interrupts the logo designer’s speech and exposes the truth about the font choice. However, in a surprising twist, the designer reveals his heartfelt intention behind the decision, ultimately teaching Steven a valuable lesson about letting go.
The episode also featured other nostalgic callbacks, including Kate McKinnon reprising her role in the “Close Encounter” sketch and cameos from Emily Blunt and Caitlin Clark.
Despite the humorous take on the font debacle, director James Cameron acknowledged the dilemma faced during the production of the “Avatar” sequels, ultimately deciding to stick with the original font choice despite Gosling’s objections.