Avatar The Last Airbender: why was the character Sokka toned down for Netflix’s live-action remake?

Fans of Sokka, one of the characters from the incredibly successful “Avatar: The Last Airbender” franchise, might be puzzled to discover that certain character traits of the character are set to be “toned down” in the upcoming Netflix remake.

That’s according to Sokka’s actor, Ian Ousley, who in an interview with Entertainment Weekly before the show arrives on the streaming service revealed the extent of Sokka’s “toning down.”  “There’s more weight with realism in every way,” adding that he wanted to make sure Sokka remained funny despite changes.

Kiawentiio Tarbell, who plays Katara in the live-action version of “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” explained that they removed the sexist elements of Sokka's character from the original show. “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 iffy.” She added that several moments in the original show were questionable. In agreement, her co-star, Dallas Liu, who plays Sokka, said that the changes were made to ensure that the show would be received well in live-action.

“Yeah, totally,” Ousley added in agreement. “There are things that were redirected just because it might play a little differently [in live action].”

What has Sokka said previously that has been deemed problematic?

It would be Sokka’s sexism that has provided the most problematic of the character's behaviour, with one of his more “memorable” comments about women being that “women are better at sewing, while men are better at fighting.”

But the discourse on r/TheLastAirbender has been one discussing why the sexist comments made by Sokka during his run in the franchise add to the nuanced, real-life situations that some people find themselves in - and more importantly, demonstrates his growth as a character.

“The point of this storyline is to show that Sokka is a good person who has inherited some overly simplistic views from his culture, but he is able to evolve past them when faced with the reality,” the top-upvoted comment on the subreddit suggests, while another fan wrote, “The social commentary was more towards setting Sokka up as a surrogate bigot for the audience who may share those beliefs, then to have him gracefully come to terms with his ignorance.”

“I think it would play differently today. If he was very sexist in episode 1, I could see audiences being turned away. While in 2004, the comedic beat is played up with theatrics only available in animation. This allows the content to be sexist, but he [is] seen as joky and over the top. “

“For comparison, this same type of sexism was common in sitcoms of the era but would also be played up in a heightened way and be accompanied by a laugh track,” they went on to say, with some in the subreddit pointing to the raft of “Seinfeld” clips on TikTok and how they can also be perceived a problematic in the current social climate.

When is “Avatar: The Last Airbender” streaming on Netflix?

“Avatar: The Last Airbender” arrives on Netflix on February 22 2024.