Netflix Removes Sokka’s “Sexism” in Live-Action Avatar Remake

Television

Avatar: The Last Airbender remake actors Kiawentiio (Katara) and Ian Ousley (Sokka) recently sat down with Entertainment Weekly to discuss the new live-action Netflix show. Specifically, they discussed how Sokka’s sexism in the animated series was on the chopping block for the remake. Check out what the young cast members had to say:

Ousley, 21, knew early on what he hoped to maintain in his character from the original. “I wanted to make sure that Sokka is funny,” he says. (Something tells us that wasn’t necessarily a challenge, judging by the laugh he periodically lets out that might sound familiar to Sokka fans.) But, Ousley notes, “There’s more weight with realism in every way.” Some things that worked in the more zany animated kids’ show hit differently in live action. Kiawentiio mentions one of them: “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’s not wrong. There are entire Reddit threads about such instances, discussing how the original Sokka (prior to his character journey) would make remarks like “Girls are better at fixing pants than guys, and guys are better at hunting and fighting.” Ousley agrees with Kiawentiio: “Yeah, totally. There are things that were redirected just because it might play a little differently [in live action].” 

Thanks, I hate it. Sokka’s patriarchal beliefs are essential to his later character growth. They also lead to great comedic moments, both in his snippy comments and the conflict they create with the women around him. This isn’t the biggest deal in the world, but it also doesn’t instill confidence in me. It makes me wonder if Netflix is focusing on the wrong things, trying to placate sensitive people instead of writing interesting characters. 

But what do you think? Let us know in the comments!