Netflix has finally cast Toph Beifong in Avatar: The Last Airbender. But the choice proves that while the platform wants to be diverse and inclusive, it prefers to attract its audience rather than play the pioneer.
Netflix has confirmed that filming for Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 is underway, and the platform has finally revealed who will play Toph Beifong, one of the franchise’s most beloved characters.
Toph is a powerful earthbender who trains Avatar Aang and plays a pivotal role in helping Aang defeat Fire Lord Ozai. The character even appeared in the final season of The Legend of Korra, the sequel to the original Avatar animated series.
On September 20, Netflix announced that Miya Cech will play the iconic Earthbender in Season 2 of the live-action series. Cech is a fantastic young actress who, at 17, has already built a huge following and starred in numerous TV series, films, and other projects.
While there’s no denying she has the talent and acting chops to play Toph, Netflix’s failure to cast a visually impaired actor is a huge mistake and another damning example of how, despite claiming inclusion is a priority, the platform does very little to promote true diversity despite ample opportunities to do so.
Netflix has a long history of uniformity, as evidenced by
Netflix has built a reputation for creating shows with diverse and inclusive casts, promoting those projects, and then canceling them after one season.
In 2022, the platform was accused of being “lesbophobic” when it decided to cancel Warrior Nun, a show featuring a WLW love story.
Additionally, one of the most popular shows on Netflix, Atypicalwas canceled after four seasons, leaving fans wanting more. The series centered on Sam, a young man making his way in the world while navigating his autism spectrum disorder.
Although the series has included autistic actors in supporting roles, Keir Gilchrist, who played Sam for all four seasons, is not autistic. Something many had major issues throughout the series.
Don’t bait your audience if you don’t intend to please them.
It baffles me that today, a huge platform like Netflix still thinks it’s acceptable to bait audiences by promising to tell different kinds of stories, but then not allow the right people to tell them.
Netflix has failed to find a visually impaired actor for the role of Toph Beifong. This reinforces the idea that Netflix does not truly support diverse writers and does not respect the importance of inclusion in its projects.
Toph is beloved for her tenacity, loyalty, and courage. She is one of the most powerful benders in the world of Avatar, and while the animated series Avatar is a Nickelodeon series, its exploration of the concept of being underestimated or rejected because of preconceived notions is what made it such a pleasure.
Toph was never defined by her visual disability; instead, she drew great strength from it. As a young woman trying to find her place in the world, turning on the television and seeing an animated series that encouraged young women to embrace their strengths and find beauty in their limitations was life-changing.
It’s insulting but not surprising that Netflix completely missed the memo. However, the platform needs to get its act together, as it’s quickly becoming one of the only major production companies not getting on board.
Netflix should be left behind if it doesn’t change its habits
Disney+Alaqua Cox shines as Maya Lopez in Echo, despite it being her first acting role
In early 2024, Disney released Echo. This brand new series focused on Maya Lopez, a deaf Native American antiheroine who finds herself competing with King Pin and other Marvel characters.
Alaqua Cox, who first portrayed Lopez in the 2021 series Hawkeye, is a Native American actress who is hard of hearing. Although her roles in Hawkeye and Echo as Lopez are her first acting experience, her performances have received nothing but praise from critics and, more importantly, those who identify with the character.
Whether it’s his Native American heritage, his hearing loss, or both, having an actor who truly understands the inner workings of his character should no longer be an added bonus but an expectation.
If Netflix continues to take the easy route with its projects, the boycott will only get worse, as it should.
While they had a fantastic opportunity to promote inclusion by casting a visually impaired actress as Toph, their failure left a sour taste in my mouth. One that likely won’t go away anytime soon.
