It has come to light that the anticipated live-action reboot of Avatar: The Last Airbender will make a big change: the ages of characters Katara and Sokka. In 2018, Netflix announced that it was going to produce a live-action series based on the original animated series, which experienced a resurgence in popularity after it was added to Netflix’s database in spring 2020. It was also recently reported that the show has found a new showrunner, Albert Kim, after the creators of the original, Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino, left the project over creative differences.
Originally, Avatar aired on Nickelodeon for three seasons from 2005-2008. It is both beloved by fans and critically acclaimed, maintaining a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score. After it was added to Netflix, about 15 years after its first release, Avatar became the most popular show on the streaming platform in the US. Avatar, set in an Asian-culture-inspired world about people (called Benders) who can supernaturally manipulate one of the four elements, has birthed many beloved characters. Two of those characters, friends of the protagonist (the Avatar, Aang), are siblings Katara and Sokka. Sokka, the older sibling and non-bender, and Katara, water-bender and Aang’s main love interest, are Aang’s first friends. They are the only two who experience the entire journey of Avatar together, supporting Aang from the very beginning until the very end.
In light of the news of a new showrunner, The Illuminerdi has reported that the ages of Katara and Sokka will change. In the original series, Sokka is 15 and Katara is 14. In this new series, Katara will be the older sibling at 16 years old and Sokka will be younger at 14 years old. Aang’s age of 12 years old will remain the same. Additionally, the show will be structured differently, with 10 one-hour-long episodes as opposed to the 20 30-minute long episodes of the original’s first season.
This change of only a few years may seem small, but it will most likely change the entire dynamic of the character’s relationships. Sokka’s sarcasm and goofiness will likely stay, but his eldest-son feelings of responsibility for Katara and his family, may not. Katara’s responsibility and motherly nature will probably not change, but her strained relationship finding her sense of duty might. The biggest probable change, however, is the romantic relationship between Aang and Katara that took all three seasons to build. It is unlikely that the show would maintain a romantic relationship between a 16-year-old and a 12-year-old.
Fans are already hesitant given the departure of the original creators and this news might not do the show any favors. While it may be disappointing to some, these changes leave open other possibilities that the original show did not explore. One main fan-favorite wish is for Zatara—that’s the romantic relationship between the Katara and enemy-turned-ally Zuko—to become canon. While this news leaves audiences guessing, it is certainly indicative of more Avatar: The Last Airbender changes to come.
Source: The Illuminerdi