Toph will not be quite the same character in Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender adaptation. With Avatar season 2 in development, the show is preparing to introduce a variety of new characters to its roster. That includes Kelemete Misipeka as the Boulder, Crystal Yu as Lady Beifong, and Miya Cech as Toph. They will take up their roles alongside returning cast members Gordon Cormier (Aang), Dallas Liu (Zuko), Kiawentiio (Katara), Ian Ousley (Sokka), and other stars. The release date has not yet been announced.
While Toph’s casting generated excitement, Miya Cech is looking to temper some expectations. In footage provided by the Editor-in-Chief of Knight Edge Media, Caleb Williams on Twitter, Cech spoke about major changes to Toph’s character. Cech says that Toph will be a much older character. While she will still be “spunky” and will call Aang “Twinkle Toes” as often as ever, she will not be quite the same as her 12-year-old counterpart. Check out Cech’s quote below:
“She’s a little bit older so she’s not a little kid anymore. She is still that same spitfire, spunky character who gets to call a certain character ‘Twinkle Toes’. I think there are going to be a lot of things that the fans are going to remember from the animated series and a lot of things that are brand new.”
What The Toph Changes Mean For Netflix’s Avatar
Everyone Needs To Be Aged Up
Netflix’s Avatar has already earned some criticism for its season 1 changes. Having fewer episodes than the animated show meant that the character development and narrative progression needed to be crunched. Avatar season 1 earned divisive reviews with a 60% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 71% Popcornmeter score. That largely came from those key criticisms about unnecessary changes and poor pacing. Where the show was faithful, it earned more respect, so changing Toph’s character could spark serious controversy.
Toph being older also indicates that the other characters may be aged up.
Still, it may not be a serious issue for the show. As long as Toph retains her general personality and “spunky” nature, the character should maintain everything that made her so beloved. She will remain classic representation for viewers with disabilities, even if she is aged to better match the other Avatar characters. Toph being older also indicates that the other characters may be aged up. That could help to avoid the issues that Netflix’s Stranger Things faced with its actors aging out of their roles.
Our Take On Toph’s Changes
They Were Necessary For A Live-Action Adaptation
One of the hardest things about any live-action adaptation is casting the right actors. Unfortunately, casting a head-strong 12-year-old is not quite as easy as in voice acting. To get the character right, while also complying with child labor laws, it makes far more sense to cast an older actor. The 17-year-old Cech works better for the show. In live-action, older actors would also look far more realistic than to see 12-year-olds causing as much chaos as the Gaang does. While it is disappointing to see, the older Toph makes more sense for Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Based on the acclaimed animated Nickelodeon television series, Avatar: The Last Airbender is an action-adventure fantasy series developed by Albert Kim. The series follows Aang, a young man training to harness the four elements to live up to the title of Avatar – the one who will restore balance to the world.
- Release Date
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February 22, 2024
- Main Genre
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Adventure
- Creator(s)
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Albert Kim
- Seasons
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1
- Writers
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Albert Kim
, michael dante dimartino
, bryan konietzko - Directors
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Michael Goi
, Roseanne Liang
, Jabbar Raisani
, Jet Wilkinson