Avatar: M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender Became a Whitewashing Mess Because of Investor Who’s Now Claiming Marvel is Too Woke
A movie like The Last Airbender was not expected out of visionary director M. Night Shyamalan. He is known to make works of art, more than mere movies, and always strives for perfection. Since many people blamed the director for ruining the animated show’s legacy and offering a completely different view of the legendary story, it gradually came to light that Shyamalan was not the one behind whitewashing The Last Airbender.
Reason Behind Whitewashed Avatar Live-Action Movie
While many people argue a director’s job is superior to a writer’s job or maybe even actors are the people who make or break a movie, it is a fact that finances supersede it all. An investor’s suggestion for a movie or series cannot be ignored since there is no project without money. At the end of the day, as much as we want to believe that filmmaking is a creative jaunt, it all boils down to the big bucks supporting the project.
What happened to the Avatar live-action movie in 2010 was no different. M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender was thrashed because they cast White actors in roles that were predominantly Asian as per the original animated show. Even to date, the movie is regarded as one of the worst adaptations in the history of movies. The cause? Nepotism.
Apparently, Nelson Peltz, the man fighting for a seat on the Disney board, forced Shyamalan to cast his daughter Nicola Peltz as Katara. Being a wealthy man with connections, he pulled all the strings necessary to get his daughter a prominent role in the project since she was a fan of the series. Before The Last Airbender, she was seen in only 2 movies. The producers of the movie did not pay heed to the Asian descent of the characters and wanted to instead focus on minting money after delivering a project that could resonate with the young masses.
A forum post made waves where a person from the production team allegedly revealed these details. The studio changed the cast a bit after facing backlash and welcomed Dev Patel to the movie. However, it wasn’t enough to salvage the reputation and stature of the movie. Fans were not satisfied with the abundance of White actors in a movie about Asian characters.
Nelson Peltz Eyes a Board Seat at Disney
Nelson Peltz’s recent claims suggest that Marvel is trying to make movies with an all-women cast or even an all-Black cast, which are baseless since Captain Marvel and Black Panther both have a diverse cast. Peltz used his influence to get his daughter cast in The Last Airbender, and now he might put his influence to work to get him a seat on the Disney board. His relationship with the current CEO Bob Iger has not fared well, so the tensions between the two men is on a high.
In essence, Peltz’s newfound focus on Disney and Marvel could mean a drastic turn for the studio’s strategy in terms of projects they are working on releasing soon. Fans are praying for Marvel’s safety since Peltz’s strong opinions might impede in the studio’s way, impacting decisions related to casting, stories, and even which superheroes to focus on. Who knows, we might even see Nicola Peltz make her MCU debut soon.
