Amidst the casting controversy of 'The Last Airbender', pop idol Jesse McCartney assures fans that he will do his best to fill in the shoes of exiled prince Zuko.
- Jan 31, 2009
AceShowbiz - Following Jackson Rathbone's footstep in addressing fans' criticism over "The Last Airbender" casting, pop singer Jesse McCartney comes to MTV to share his response towards fans' protest of the "all Caucasian" casting. The 21-year-old who is tapped for Prince Zuko part tries to assure hard core fans of the animated TV series that he will do his best to do justice for his character.
"I heard a lot about this online," the singer who fills the voice of Theodore in "Alvin and the Chipmunks" explains. "There's a lot of hard-core fans out there [who] probably know more about it...I'm still learning. This is M. Night's vision and this is what he wants. To all the fans, I can tell you I'm putting my best foot forward." He further adds, "I've been in kung-fu training for the last month and half-learning all the moves. I'm looking forward to it."
The casting controversy came out after reports surfaced that karate-trained Texan Noah Ringer, "Twilight" actor Jackson Rathbone, "Deck the Halls" actress Nicola Peltz and singer Jesse McCartney have been offered the roles of Aang, Sokka, Katara and Zuko respectively. The casting of the four Caucasian actors brought out negative reaction from fans with accusations of racism.
Earlier, Rathbone has responded to the complaints, stating that it is his chance to show his range of acting. Speaking to MTV, he added on what he will need to do for Sokka's transformation, "I think it's one of those things where I pull my hair up, shave the sides, and I definitely need a tan. It's one of those things where, hopefully, the audience will suspend disbelief a little bit."
To be differentiated from James Cameron's "Avatar", "The Last Airbender" has dropped "Avatar" from its title. It tells the story of the successor to a long line of Avatars who must put aside his irresponsible ways and stop the Fire Nation from enslaving the Water, Earth and Air nations. The Paramount Pictures film eyes to hit U.S. theaters on July 2, 2010.
