Netflix’s new fantasy epic Avatar: The Last Airbender is embroiled in a ‘woke’ row after film chiefs toned down ‘questionable’ sexism in the live-action remake of the beloved cartoon classic.
All eight episodes of the show, which reportedly cost more than £94 million to make, dropped on the streaming giant today, sending fans of the original 2005 animated series into a frenzy.
Gordon Cormier plays 12-year-old Aang, the current Avatar and last survivor of his race, as he learns to master his mythical powers to control the four elements (water, earth, fire and air) and attempts to save the world to rescue. world of the genocidal Fire Nation.
However, the latest iteration of Avatar – the second since Sixth Sense director M Night Shyamalan’s critically panned 2010 flop – has sparked controversy among die-hard fans after it was suggested that the traits of one of the cult classic’s most beloved characters had been dumped. for Gen Z audiences.
In particular, they highlighted how the boomerang-throwing spitfire Sokka (Ian Ousley) – who was labeled “sexist” in the original for joking that “boys are better at hunting and fighting” while “girls are better at mending pants” ‘ – was toned down.
In the remake, Gordon Cormier (pictured) plays 12-year-old Aang, the current Avatar and last survivor of his race, as he learns to master his mythical powers to control the four elements.
But the show faced controversy for toning down the “sexist” jokes that beloved character Sokka (Ian Ousley) made in the original for the new remake
Speaking about the move to Entertainment Weekly, Kiawentiio Tarbell (left) – who plays Sokka’s ‘waterbending’ sister Katara – said some of the comments in the original show were ‘questionable’.
Speaking of the shift to Entertainment WeeklyKiawentiio Tarbell – who plays Sokka’s ‘waterbending’ sister Katara – said: ‘I feel like we also took out the element of how sexist (Sokka) was. I feel like there were a lot of moments in the original show that were questionable.”
Some fans were concerned about the suggestion that Sokka’s problematic comments had been ditched, arguing that they were crucial to the development of his character, in which he sheds his “sexist, misogynistic views” as he ages.
The latest version of Aang’s adventure received mixed reviews from critics.
The Jack Seale from Guardian celebrated the show as a “sparkling return for one of the greatest fantasy series of all time,” earning the show an impressive four out of five stars.
Seale praised the young cast for their takes on the characters, writing, “Ousley and Kiawentiio begin a nicely prickly brother-sister relationship as Sokka and Katara, while Cormier gives Aang the right mix of boyish spunk and inherent authority,” adding that the Airbender franchise had ‘confidently came back to life’.
The Hollywood Reporter was less enthusiastic however, his review labeled the remake a “major disappointment”, plagued by “clumsy writing” and “clumsy performances”.
The series previously sparked a fierce online backlash following the release of its trailer in January, with social media users slamming the show’s ‘whitewashed’ casting – despite some actors’ Asian heritage.
Netflix’s new fantasy epic Avatar: The Last Airbender is embroiled in a ‘woke’ row after film chiefs toned down ‘questionable’ sexism in the live-action remake of the beloved animated classic
The latest version of Aang’s adventure received mixed reviews from critics
Kiawentiio Tarbell, Gordon Cormier and Ian Ousley attend Netflix’s ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ World Premiere at The Egyptian Theater Hollywood on February 15 in LA
The characters’ ethnicity was not stated in the original show, but the creators have said that the Water Tribe was inspired by the Inuit people, the Earth Kingdom by monarchical China, the Fire Nation by Imperial Japan, and the Air Nomads by Tibetan Buddhist monks . .
Now, many fans are outraged that the live-action remake won’t feature indigenous actors from those communities — especially in the role of Sokka — and the trailer has been heavily criticized.
In addition, social media users have savagely blasted the network for choosing stars with “lighter” skin, while including people of color.
“The Sokka casting and lack of people darker than light beige is really shocking,” one person wrote.
“It’s so incredibly awkward,” someone else agreed.
Another user added: ‘Real. It just feels really weird.”
The series previously sparked a fierce online backlash following the release of its trailer in January, with social media users slamming the show’s ‘whitewashed’ casting.
Firebenders Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (left) and Dallas Liu also star in the hit Netflix remake
Sebastian Amoruso, left, and Kiawentiio in a scene from the series Avatar: The Last Airbender
Daniel Dae Kim plays the tyrannical Fire Lord Ozai, leader of the warlike Fire Nation
“Every time I see that white guy and the colorist casting it upsets me all over again,” read a fourth tweet.
Controversy has surrounded the casting since the stars were announced in early 2022, after some social media users claimed Ousley lied about being of Cherokee descent to get the role.
Ian, 21, who previously starred in 13 Reasons Why, was born in America and grew up in Texas.
His managers described him as a “mixed race Native American” who is a member of the “Cherokee Tribe.” However, someone on
Ian has not made the allegations publicly.
Gordon Cormier, who is of French and Filipino descent but grew up in Vancouver, Canada, plays Aang. The 14-year-old previously starred in Netflix’s remake of the cult science fiction classic Lost In Space.
Gordon Cormier, of French and Filipino descent but raised in Vancouver, Canada, plays Aang (pictured at an LA event on February 15)
Ian Ousley, Gordon Cormier, Kiawentiio and Dallas Liu attend the afterparty for Netflix’s world premiere ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ earlier this month
Cormier is not only an actor, but also an accomplished martial artist and a professional skateboarder.
Katara, played by Kiawentiio, is a First Nations actress born into a Mohawk family, originally from Ontario, Canada.
Dallas Liu plays Prince Zuko, a royal heir to the throne of the warlike Fire Nation.
The 22-year-old American was born in Los Angeles, California. He has a black belt in karate and has competed internationally in the Japanese armed forces.
He previously starred in the 2021 Marvel film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.