Netflix’s new fantasy epic Avatar: The Last Airbender has been caught in a “woke” row after film bosses toned down “dubious” sexism in the live-action remake of the beloved Netflix classic. Cartoon.
All eight episodes of the show, which reportedly cost more than £94 million to make, arrived on the streaming giant today, sending fans of the original 2005 animated series into a frenzy.
It stars Gordon Cormier as 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. world of the genocidal Fire Nation.
However, the latest Avatar reinvention, 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 one of the characters’ traits The cult classic’s most beloved had been abandoned. for Generation Z audiences.
In particular, they highlighted how boomerang thrower Sokka (Ian Ousley), who was branded ‘sexist’ in the original for joking that ‘boys are better at hunting and fighting’, while ‘girls are better at mending pants’, had been toned down.
The remake stars Gordon Cormier (pictured) as 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 has faced controversy for toning down beloved character Sokka’s (Ian Ousley) ‘sexist’ jokes in the remake’s original.
Speaking about the change to Entertainment Weekly, Kiawentiio Tarbell (left), who plays Katara, Sokka’s “waterbending” sister, said some of the comments in the original show were “iffy.”
Talking about change a Entertainment WeeklyKiawentiio Tarbell, who plays Katara, Sokka’s ‘waterbending’ sister, said: ‘I feel like we also removed the element of how sexist [Sokka] was. “I feel like there were a lot of moments in the original show that were iffy.”
Some fans were left concerned by the suggestion that Sokka’s problematic comments had been dismissed, arguing how his character develops in the show, in which he sheds his ‘sexist and misogynistic views’ over time as he grows older. realize how wrong they are.
The latest version of Aang’s adventure has had a mixed reception from critics.
He Guardian’s Jack Seale celebrated the show as a “brilliant return of one of the best fantasy series of all time”, giving it an impressive score of four out of five stars.
Praising the young cast for their portrayal of the characters, Seale wrote, “Ousley and Kiawentiio strike up a nice, spiky sibling relationship as Sokka and Katara, while Cormier gives Aang the perfect blend of youthful sass and inherent authority,” adding that the Airbender franchise had “revived with confidence”.
The Hollywood Reporter was less effusive In his review, however, he calls the remake a “huge disappointment,” plagued by “clunky writing” and “awkward performances.”
The series previously sparked fierce backlash online following the release of its trailer in January, with social media users criticizing the show’s “whitewashed” casting, despite the Asian heritage of some of the actors.
Netflix’s new fantasy epic Avatar: The Last Airbender has been caught in a ‘woke’ row after film bosses toned down ‘dubious’ sexism in the live-action remake of the beloved Netflix classic. Cartoon.
The latest version of Aang’s adventure has had a mixed reception from critics.
Kiawentiio Tarbell, Gordon Cormier and Ian Ousley attend the world premiere of Netflix’s ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood on February 15 in Los Angeles.
The characters’ ethnic origins were not mentioned in the original show, but the creators have said that the Water Tribe was inspired by the Inuit people, the Earth Kingdom in monarchical China, the Fire Nation in imperial Japan, and the Nomads of the Air in Tibetan Buddhist monks. .
Now, many fans are furious that the live-action remake will not feature indigenous actors from those communities, especially in the role of Sokka, and the trailer was met with fierce criticism.
Additionally, social media users fiercely criticized the network for casting stars with “lighter” skin when they included people of color.
“Sokka’s casting and lack of people darker than light beige is really jarring,” one person wrote.
“It’s incredibly awkward,” someone else agreed.
Another user added: ‘Real. It just feels really strange.’
The series previously sparked fierce backlash online following the release of its trailer in January, with social media users criticizing 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 Avatar: The Last Airbender series
Daniel Dae Kim plays the tyrannical Fire Lord Ozai, leader of the war-mongering Fire Nation.
“Every time I see that white man and the colorful cast I get angry again,” read a fourth tweet.
Controversy has swirled around the casting since the stars were announced in early 2022, after some social media users claimed Ousley had lied about being of Cherokee descent to land the role.
Ian, 21, who previously starred in 13 Reasons Why, was born in the United States 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 at X said they contacted all three federally recognized Cherokee tribes and none of them had him as a member.
Ian has not publicly addressed the allegations.
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 sci-fi classic, Lost In Space.
Gordon Cormier, who is of French and Filipino descent but grew up in Vancouver, Canada, plays Aang (pictured at an event in Los Angeles on February 15).
Ian Ousley, Gordon Cormier, Kiawentiio and Dallas Liu attend the party after the world premiere of Netflix’s ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ earlier this month.
In addition to being an actor, Cormier is an accomplished martial artist and 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 war-mongering 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 Japanese martial arts.
He previously starred in the 2021 Marvel film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.