Rodney, I understand where Andrew is coming from. The character dress in last airbender is of asian style and the world in which the characters live are all heavily influenced by east asian culture. That most of characters have asian names would suggest that they were asian.

So maybe skin color has nothing to do with fictional characters with fictional cultures (although its quite obvious its heavily influenced from east asian culture), but to stay somewhat faithful to the source, it would seem that casting asians for those parts would seem ideal. After all, if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, why hire a penguin to play a duck?

One last thing, would you have a problem with Superman being cast with an asian oe black actor? After all Superman is not of earth and truly is not of any particular earth culture influenced or other. Yet, I guarantee you there would be a public outcry and uproar if the actor portraying Superman were not caucasian.

Rodney, I’ll be honest I am a little dissapointed that asian actors are not featured more prominantly in this movie. It just seems almost disinginous for the movie to rely so heavily on asian names, themes and culture, yet not cast accordingly.

I dont know alot about Superman lore. I do know that Superman is an alien whos appearance resembles a human. The last time I checked african americans and asians believe it or not do exist in Kansas. Americans are of all races not just caucasian. :)

Appearance is a relative term. for all we know to an alien all humans look fairly similar. And with so many movie reboots and updates and retellings of the Superman mythos it wouldnt be farfetched that an humanoid alien resembled something other than a white caucasian male, would it?

Does it ever specifically state in The Superman lore that Superman was a white caucasian male? He may have been adopted by caucasians, dressed like a caucasian, ate like a caucasian, etc… BUT ISNT CAUCASIAN. So, would it really matter if an asian or black actor were cast as Superman?

I didnt mention 1938 because I didnt know that was when the comic started. However, all the movies and tv shows nowadays have been modernized and updated to the present. I doubt any reboots or retellings would begin from 1938 these days… so I dont think it would be that farfetched that an actor of another ethnicity could pull of the role of Superman today.

The round toon eyes, skin color.. therefore needs to be an asian actor is not my argument. I never mentioned it. However, by that same argument, how do you tell from a comic book drawing that someone is clearly caucasian? especially when he is an alien? Because no other ethnicity could possibly represent an alien with pale skin and caucasian comic book eyes?

I feel that a movie that relies so heavily on asian themes and culture is somewhat disingenuous when the only asian actors cast are those in background and secondary roles. Whereas all the prominant roles are portrayed by non asians. Basically asians do exist in this world heavily influenced by asian themes and culture but only as background noise, and ambiance, interesting…

Rodney, Im glad that you can accept that an actor of another ethicity can portray Superman. It just seemed like a double standard that you would so vehemently defend that Superman, could only be caucasion but at the same time had no problem with caucasian actors portraying characters generally thought of as non caucasian.

I still disagree that Superman could not work with a black actor. Like I said earlier with updates and retellings of the Superman story, as an infant, Superman could just as likely have been found by a couple of any ethnicity from the side of the road. And these days its quite normal for a couple of one ethnicity to adopt a child of another.

It was always my impression that Superman’s father intended Superman to be not only a hero and protector of America, but all of Earth. The fact that Supermans father sent him to such a culturally and ethnically diverse place as America by design only adds to the evidence that Superman could have the appearance of any type of human that exists in the world. So really it wouldnt matter what ethnicity the actor portraying Superman was today.

But my point all along was that if a movie like that actually happened there would be massive public outcry and calls for boycott. In the same way but to a much lesser extent as people are complaining about Last Airbender and other films where the characters are generally thought of as an ethnicity other than caucasian yet played by a caucasian actors.

Your right about Last Airbender. You can’t tell that the characters in Last Airbender are asian per se, but that was never my argument. Actually I really like alot of the diversity and interesting casting choices in the movie. The problem I have with this movie is the total lack of and exclusion of asian actors in more prominant roles. While still acknowledging they exist en masse in a world that is influenced by them culturally and thematically, they only exist in the background and only as secondary characters. You and others may find that perfectly normal and fine, but to me it creates a feeling inauthenticity and does a disservice to the movie as a whole.

Thanks for engaging me in ths discussion and I truly enjoy your site!

Rodney, I think your assumption of what IS is a bit presumptious. I mean what makes you think that an alien from a far off planet IS conclusively a white caucasion male? Its really strange to me your insistance that Superman must be a white caucasian male. For Pete’s sake he’s an alien from a far off galaxy, not even a human being.

You still havent shown me where it is written specifically that he is a white caucasian male. your only proof is from the 1938 comic where you state he is drawn as such which really doesnt have that much bearing these days since all movies and shows of Superman now are going to be an update, modernization, or a retelling anyway.

I also rebutted that by using a comic book drawing of Superman as definitive proof that he is a white caucasian male is exactly the same type of argument that people use as to why those anime toon eyes darker skinned characters could not be played by caucasian actors.

I am also not assuming anybody is asian in Last Airbender. But it is clear to me that all the main characters are not of asian ethnicity, so Im not sure what you mean that there is no lack of or exclusion of asians any more than its a lack of or exclusion of Pakisatni or Polish people.

I already stated that I have no problem with the diversity in casting. What i am saying is that when a film uses asian themes and culture as the basis for its world. And then uses asians in the film but only as extras and in secondary roles there is a disengenuous quality to it.

Take for example a TV series Merlin. A retelling of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table mythology. In this retelling it is established that Camelot is a quasi-multi ethnic society. Gwenevere is of African decent and I think a few other characters are of other ethnicities other than caucasian. Every so often you see some townsfolk or guards who are of an ethnicity other than caucasian.

I think this is a very interesting take on the Camelot mythology, but Camelot is after all a fictional land based on ancient Anglo Saxon culture. So if all of a suddden the creators decided to cast all the Knights of the Round Table and King Arthur as asian it would just become absurd and take away from the whole mythology. It would feel disengenuous no matter how much those asian actors resembled what people think King Arthur or the Knights looked like… and that’s how I feel about the casting in Last Airbender.

Hhmm… Didnt realize the actress was Indian, but my point was that she was definitely not caucasian. I am also pretty sure the whole Knights of the Round Table and King Arthur legend was a pure work of fiction and not documented history. I said it was OK in my mind that Gwenevere was not of Anglo Saxon origin because the creators have established that in this fictional world of King Arthur and the Knights anybody could be of any ethnicity (see Gwenevere).

But I could apply this to many other works of fantasy and fiction. Lord of the Rings, Lets keep the cast as is but make the fellowship all asian. Lets make all the Disney animations into live action movies. ok, Snow White, same cast, Snow White and 6 of the seven dwarves, lets make them asian. Sleeping Beauty and the Prince, asian. You get the idea. If all the extras and secondary roles in these films were played by caucasion but then all the main roles are asian. Something would seem awfully out of place and.. disengenuous.

You are definitely right, the makers of Last Airbender definitely do not have to have any Asians in any roles in Last Airbender. Yet they choose to, but only as extras and in secondary roles. The makers of the film are the ones who are giving the audience the perception that in this world influenced by asian culture and asian themes that asians exist and they exist in an extremely large number. But hey guess what? All the main characters just happen to be, not asian? For me thats kind of a huge leap and disengenuous. and if thats my perception then so be it. But my perception is created by what the film is telling me to perceive.

Fair enough Rodney. I learned something new today. :) While the creators can never totally ignore its source inspiration, you must admit Merlin, the new retelling is so far removed from historical fact it would be laughable to call it such.

I also gave some other fantasy and fiction works that, if made into film with inconsistent casting choices, would potentially disrupt an audience out of the story and movie going experience.

Not everyone may agree, but that’s why I said I can understand when someone thinks that some of the main characters should be asian in Last Airbender.

After some digging, I found out that only caucasians were even considered for the lead roles during casting calls. Actors of all ethnicities were considered for extras and non speaking roles. Only after public outcry of the initial casting did the film makers recast Zuko the villain with Dev Petal. It was a calculated and systematic exclusion of all ethnicities other than caucasian by the film makers for the lead roles. Why am I not surprised…