Casting Aside

[soc_puppet]

Soooo, it seems as if Jesse McCartney has been replaced by Dev Patel for The Last Airbender?

I'm still a bit worried, actually. In addition to him being a potential "token Asian actor" ("Okay, guys, you've got your Asians, you can STFU already!"), my concerns are that both Katara and Sokka have canonically darker skin than Zuko, and also that Zuko plays something of an anti-villain for a good part of the story. For basically the whole first season, while Zuko is a sympathetic character, he's not really one of the "good guys", and he doesn't get to be until season three. Up until that point, the Gaang (as it stood) is still pretty much played by all white kids (assumptions made re: Noah Ringer).

It also looks like we've got an actor named for Suki: Jessica Jade Andres (picture here, second to last one). Suki definitely has less of a problem with being portrayed as a villain, but she also has considerably less screentime.

I dunno. I mean, it's a step in the right direction, sort-of, and I'll probably never be 100% happy with the cast, but... I did still kinda want Katara and Sokka to keep their pigment, yanno? I guess I may just have to live with what I can get, though :/

Edit: Oh thank God, I thought I was the only one still dissatisfied DD: I feel better about myself now.

Comments

[candy--chan.livejournal.com]

Oh goodness gracious...

Given what I saw in that interview that girlquinn C&P'd on her journal (in which McCartney actually said that there were ninjas in the show, amidst a whole crap-ton of other poorly-worded misinformation that had even a casual Avatar fan such as myself wincing), I'd say that ANYONE is an improvement. Particularly if that anyone has actually, ya know, seen the source material at some point.

It's a step in the right direction, I'll give it that much. Although the official reason is that there was a scheduling conflict, it'd be nice to think that the fandom's campaign has made some difference. But what's burning me right now is the suggestion someone made that M.Night wants to play Iroh. NO, NO, AND AGAIN I SAY NO.

[soc_puppet]

God, that interview gave me such a headache. I mean, I'll give him acting points for how he did with Roxas, but that doesn't mean he's the right person to portray Our Lord Zuzu, In All His Failfulness.

That is definitely the official reason; I did see in a couple other places before this that he'd actually intended to cancel his tour dates in order to train for the movie, so I'm somewhat hopeful that it's only press-speak and that we have actually gotten through to them somewhat. Still, we shall have to see what becomes of the other actors. (In one article, at least, it mentioned that Jackson had already "worked out" a New Moon related scheduling conflict with the movie - perhaps he may have to "re-prioritize" it >D)

I'm telling myself now that one's just a rumor, but it's still an annoying one. NO, Mr Shyamalan, you do not get to disrespect Mako that way >:O

[candy--chan.livejournal.com]

I know. I've enjoyed a couple of McCartney's voice-acting roles, but...if he can't even be bothered to watch the source material and know the character he's playing before he starts speaking about it, that doesn't bode well at all. I heard that the kid who played Draco in the HP movies was the only one who hadn't read the books when he was cast. First thing he did when he got the part was start reading.

My own feelings just went on my LJ, for what they're worth. It'll be interesting to see where this goes. And honestly, it's nice to see that people do care about racism. It bothers me that people are saying that they only care about the issue because it's affecting their "precious cartoon," but I say that most people don't have cause to get worked up about something until they become aware of it by being affected by it. And if it gets people talking, then I'm all for it.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it is just a rumor. I know M.Night does do cameos in his movies, and so I'm telling myself that playing Iroh is not a cameo, it's a full-blown part, so it can't possibly be true...right? *clings to hope*

[soc_puppet]

Amen to that!

I saw and commented :3 "[M]ost people don't have cause to get worked up about something until they become aware of it by being affected by it." THIS. This this this this. Just. Yes.

Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll instead appear as someone edited him in as the Cabbage Merchant ♥

[soc_puppet]

FOUND IT, whee!

[ytak.livejournal.com]

You know who M. Night needs to play? Cabbageman. XDDD