Summary

Avatar: The Last Airbender
Season 2 will feature fan-favorite character Toph Beifong.
Netflix’s open casting call for Toph encourages blind or low vision actors to audition, staying true to the character’s representation of disability.
Season 2 of the live-action adaptation may introduce Toph earlier than in the original show, as the series re-arranges events to fit longer episodes.

Production is moving forward with Season 2 of Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender adaptation, and the show’s return will bring a fan favorite character to life… Toph Beifong. The live-action adaptation of Nickelodeon’s beloved children’s animation has been a mixed hit with audiences, with casual audiences enjoying the show, and long-time fans criticizing the numerous changes from the original story. However, despite the divisive reception, Avatar: The Last Airbender was a major hit for the streamers, shooting to the number one spot upon release, and being announced for, not one, but two more seasons to wrap up the story.

The casting team behind Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender have launched an open casting call for the role of Toph Beifong. Introduced in ‘Book 2’ from the original show, Toph is a blind teenage girl who hides her earthbending powers from her family. However, after Aang discovers her skills, she sets off with the team to teach the Avatar earthbending and fight the Fire Nation. It is possible that Netflix’s version might be aging the character up slightly, as the official casting call poster describes Toph as “mid-late teens, blind, female, Asian.” The full character description reads:

“She is sassy, confident, and unfiltered. For most of her life her strength and formidable earthbending skills have been suppressed, but now on the run as the Avatar’s earthbending master she is uninhibited to become the fierce warrior she believes she is inside.

Netflix/Downtown Casting

As well as bringing kick-ass earthbending and plenty of laughs to the table, Toph’s appearance in the original show was also a landmark moment for disability inclusion in action shows. Her visual impairment doesn’t hold her back from becoming the strongest earthbender on the planet, nor is it used for cheap sympathy. Staying authentic to the character, and mirroring this opportunity for genuine representation, Netflix have announced that “actors who are blind or low vision are encouraged to submit.” The poster also reveals that shooting is expected to begin this Fall.

How Toph Will Fit Into Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2

Fans are desperate to see Netflix’s Aang (Gordon Cormier), Katara (Kiawentiio), and Sokka (Ian Ousley) meet Toph the same way they did in the original show. While searching the Earth nation for an earthbending master, the gang stumble upon a poster for a professional wrestling event.

Going to the show, they witness the power of the all-star earthbender, The Blind Bandit. Season 1 of the series was criticized by many for removing the fun-loving heart of the original animated show. Even though the fate of the world is at stake as the fire nation wages war, the main characters are still kids, and Netflix’s adaptation did little to highlight this.

Related Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender Showrunner Steps Down After Season 1’s Success Avatar: The Last Airbender showrunner Albert Kim will be joining another series from Disney as EP.

If Netflix’s adaptation follows the chronology of the original show, expect Toph to appear around halfway through Season 2. However, the series has had to re-arrange multiple events from the original to fit its new 40-plus minute episode length. As a result (especially considering she’s such a popular character), Toph could be the first person the gang run into in the upcoming season. Season 2 doesn’t yet have an official release date.

Stream
Avatar: The Last Airbender
on Netflix.