Netflix's Live-Action Avatar Already Has A Massive Red Flag
The creators got rid of a "problematic" side of Sokka's character that fans felt was crucial to his story arc.
Summary:
Netflix's live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender animated series is fast approaching its release date, and while it already looks much more promising than the disastrous 2010 film adaptation, fans have already noticed a rather alarming red flag regarding the project.
The original series, created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, has definitely earned its place among the most iconic animated TV shows of the 2000s, if not all time.
Masterfully combining vivid characters voiced by a great cast, an entertaining story, outstanding anime-inspired visual style and a tremendously developed setting, Avatar set a new standard for kids' shows and was enjoyed by many adults as well.
The show managed to maintain its level of quality throughout its three-season run and spawned an equally great sequel, The Legend of Korra, which ran for four seasons from 2012 to 2014.
New Show Already Looks Better Than 2010's Infamous Movie
In light of all this, adapting the franchise to live action was quite tempting for filmmakers, and the first attempt came in 2010 with The Last Airbender, directed by M. Night Shyamalan, but it turned out to be even more awful than fans could have expected.
The movie failed in almost every aspect, from butchering significant parts of the first season's story and cringe-worthy acting to absolutely atrocious choreography of most scenes and underwhelming visuals.
Fans learned from that bitter experience, so they were cautious when the new live-action TV series based on Avatar was announced, but the more information they got, the more promising it seemed.
Major Change In Sokka's Character Sparks Outrage From Fans
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Unfortunately, a new interview with Entertainment Weekly by Ian Ousley and Kiawentiio, who portray the new iterations of Sokka and Katara, respectively, has planted a seed of doubt in the minds of fans.
Specifically, Ousley pointed out that the show's creators had removed the element of sexism from Sokka's character, as the original had a significant number of moments involving him that felt "iffy."
Concerned fans say that Sokka's sexism was an important part of the original character's arc, as it was one of the major flaws that he was able to overcome throughout the series in order to grow as a person.
Robbing his live-action version of this crucial lesson in humility will undoubtedly only detract from the realism aspect, which is ironic considering it was supposed to look more real than the animated original, making the new Sokka a duller version of his former self.
All episodes of the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender season 1 will premiere on Netflix on February 22, 2024.
Sources: Entertainment Weekly, Reddit