When the casting calls for James Cameron's Avatar went out in 2006-7, no one could've anticipated that the franchise would reach the heights it would. Even more surprising is that 20th Century Fox was quite selective about who would be in the film.
Josh Gad, an actor known for his dramatic roles, received an offer to be in the 2009 film. Cameron asked for the Frozen actor to audition, which he passed, but Gad's digital transformation didn't go as planned.
For those who aren't aware, the actors in Avatar had their likenesses recreated in the Na'Vi style. Both installments so far have proven that the real-life traits translate into the digital format, which attests to how efficient the conversion is.
Unfortunately for Gad, he quote-unquote looked like a "tall-overweight Smurf." Even though Cameron was thrilled with how Gad tested for the role of Jake Sully's (Sam Worthington) friend, the end result didn't fly. Cameron rescinded his offer, inevitably handing the part over to Joel David Moore.
What's odd about Cameron's decision is Avatar world is already so rich with a variety of species. None of them look alike, so the notion of a chubby blue Na'Vi shouldn't have raised concerns. Excluding a wider-figure character was also bad for another reason.
Seeing as how the humanoid Na'Vi are all slender and tall, including a chubby cousin would've shown how every race/species comes in all shapes and sizes. Hardly any culture is entirely uniform. Some people are tall, some are short. And some are skinnier while others are heavier than others. The differences are infinite.
Perhaps Avatar: Ash and Fire will give full-figured characters a chance to shine. Fan theories about the incoming tribes being introduced point to a race of red humanoids that worship fire. It's unclear if they even exist, but if there's truth to said claims, audiences might also get to see chubby Na'Vi on the big screen.
It's also good that audiences see people of all sizes in the media they're exposed to. There's nothing wrong with a fictional alien race looking identical, but seeing characters that look like you in movies, makes it easier to relate to them. Their struggles are also more familiar since full-figured people understand the ridicule that comes along with being different in a world full of carbon copies. Watching a character in a movie face the same troubles allows the audience to become more invested—it gives depth to them when they could be deduced to a lot less.
Hopefully, James Cameron and Disney reconsider putting Josh Gad in an Avatar movie. They have Fire and Ash on the docket, giving them an opportunity to rectify past mistakes.
Avatar and Avatar: Way of Water are currently streaming on Disney Plus