Avatar: The Last Airbender star Ian Ousley has addressed the criticism surrounding his character Sokka in the new series.
The new Netflix show, released later this month, is a live-action reimagining of the 2005 animated series of the same name, bringing the story of young Avatar Aang to a new generation.
But there has been some backlash from fans of the original series, after it was revealed that Sokka’s "sexist" attitudes had been removed from the adaptation.
Kiawentiio, who plays Sokka’s sister Katara in the show, told Entertainment Weekly last month: "I feel like we 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."
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Some fans have been concerned about this apparent change, arguing that Sokka’s flawed attitudes are part of his arc, and pave the way for his character growth during the series.
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Now, Ousley, who portrays Sokka, has responded to this criticism during an interview with Metro, arguing that the "heart and soul" of the show is still the same.
He said: "I think that the essence of the character that Sokka is, is 100% the character that is portrayed in the live-action version of the show.
"I think the fans are a little worried that there’s going to be changes in who Sokka is, and I don’t really think that’s been the case at all in our show. Obviously it’s different from an animation show to a live-action in those ways, but the heart and soul of the animation show is the breath that we’re all playing into.
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"We can’t fit every single arc of every single thing from the animated show," the actor continued. "But the essence of him is still there."
Ousley went on to describe how Sokka and his views do still change over the eight episodes, and explained: "He’s an overprotective older brother, and that’s kind of shown in the way that he doesn’t really trust Katara maybe at the beginning, feeling like he’s the in-charge guy of Southern Water Tribe.
"[He] definitely still gets humbled in ways and learns that women can be powerful. I’m just excited for people to watch it and get their own take on that particular thing that I know that people are worried about."
Avatar: The Last Airbender premieres on Netflix on February 22, 2024.
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Soaps Writer, Digital Spy and Inside Soap
After studying for an English degree at the University of Exeter, Erin completed a PPA-accredited Masters in Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. She first joined the Digital Spy team in late 2023, writing across both news and features.
Erin is a fan of all things TV, from comedy and drama to reality TV and soaps.
