Miya Cech's Toph being older won't be the only change that Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender will make with the character.
Netflix's live-action adaptation had mixed reactions from fans and critics regarding its changes to the animated series, specifically with some characters. For example, the live-action series portrayed Katara as more timid and insecure than her animated counterpart.
Toph's new actress, Miya Cech, recently revealed some changes to her character, like the earthbending prodigy being "a little bit older" due to her casting. However, this newest change with Toph might not go over well with many fans.
Live-Action Toph Will Be More 'Feminine'
In an interview with The Direct on the red carpet for Marshmellow, a sci-fi horror film about campfire stories coming to life, Miya Cech was asked how her portrayal of Toph in Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender would differ from the animated series.
Cech reaffirmed changes like Toph being "a little older," but she also confirmed that the Earthbender will be "slightly more feminine" in the live-action series:
"My version of Toph is going to be a little older and slightly more feminine. I feel like I wanted to work into a very humanizing space for her because, you know, she was a cartoon."
Cech also mentioned how she had met with Toph's original voice actor, Michaela Jill Murphy, and how both of them have "a very similar take in terms of process" with the character:
"I have met Makayla who plays the voice of Toph, and I feel like we have both a very similar take in terms of process."
Toph grappling with her femininity isn't a completely foreign concept, as the original animated series briefly touched on it.
How Feminine Is Toph in the Animated Series?
It sounds sacrilegious to refer to Toph as "feminine," but Cech did strain that her version will only be "slightly" more feminine. While the animated series portrayed her as your typical tomboy, it did touch on her feminine side a few times.
The most blatant example was in Season 2, Episode 15, "The Tales of Ba Sing Se," where she and Katara go on "a girls day out" at a spa. Despite her apprehension, Toph ended up having a great time with Katara, admitting, "I'm not usually into that stuff, but I actually feel...girly," with the two caked in makeup.
It even showed how Toph grappled with her appearance and how it connected to her blindness, ending in a touching moment with Katara, who reaffirmed Toph's best qualities while also affirming to the young Earthbender that she was "really pretty," which Toph appreciated.
Another aspect of the character in the live-action series that could be explored more is her knowledge of high society as the child of a wealthy and respected family. While Toph acted nothing of the sort in the animated series, it was because she "learned proper society behavior and chose to leave it."
No matter the changes, executive producer Jabbar Raisani teased fans that Toph's debut and change to the gang's dynamic would be faithful to the animated series. It just depends on how much the live-action series will crank up Toph's limited feminine qualities from the cartoon and how it will delve into them.
Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender is expected to release in early 2026 on Netflix.
