We still don't know much about the plot of the upcoming Avatar sequels, but one puzzling thing we do know is that among the cast are a few actors whose characters were presumed dead at the end of the first film. Among those actors is Stephen Lang, who played the merciless Colonel Miles Quaritch. Stephen Lang recently shed a little light on what is going on with his villain in the Avatar sequels, saying:
I can tell you that we're deeply, deeply into the shooting. We're by no means finished. Quaritch, his place in this particular universe has gotten more complicated. And that's kind of the extent of his involvement in the world. The world begins to -- the world of Pandora -- begins to affect him quite deeply in ways that he either refused or it did not affect him. And it gets under his skin.
The Quaritch we saw in 2009 was very much a standard villain. He was inflexible in his views, and the only thing that really changed over the course of the movie was the amount of force he chose to exert to achieve his desired outcome. Based on Stephen Lang's comments to Slashfilm, it sounds like the villain will have a much different story in the Avatar sequels and one that actually digs into his psyche as a character.
In the first Avatar, Quaritch knew his job, his goals and the role he was meant to play on Pandora. As Stephen Lang says, his place has now gotten more complicated. And I have to imagine that that has something to do with the fact that he is no longer dead, even though he almost certainly was after taking a couple Na'vi arrows dipped in neurotoxin to the chest at the end of the first film.
We've been wondering since it was announced that Stephen Lang was returning how exactly Quaritch will come back from that. James Cameron hasn't revealed how he will come back, but has reminded everyone that this is a science fiction story. Couple that with Stephen Lang's comments here, and it sounds to me like Quaritch might be brought back by Pandora itself.
Stephen Lang says that Pandora will affect him deeply, and what happens gets under his skin. So I'm thinking that somehow, the biology on Pandora, which borders on magic, will revive Quaritch. But he will not be the man he once was, at least, not entirely. The only problem with this is that the first film showed Pandora and Eywa as sentient, so why would it bring back someone hell-bent on hurting it?
Quaritch has been described as the Darth Vader of the sequels, and James Cameron has said that the character will "evolve" over the course of the saga. Whatever brings Quaritch back may slowly take over him, and see him evolve into something that is more Pandora than man, much as Anakin became more machine than man.
This would definitely create an interesting internal struggle for the character, and that sounds like Stephen Lang is describing. In such a scenario, Quaritch would be brought back and be benefitting from the very thing he is trying to destroy. If whatever brings him back also confers upon him new powerful abilities, that could explain how he'll prove a foe for Jake Sully and his family over the course of 3-5 films.
Moviegoers still have a ways to go to find out. Principal photography is finished but as Stephen Lang says, the films are by no means completed. There is still a ton of work to be done on these blockbusters before they awaken from cryosleep in 2020 to dominate the box office.
Avatar 2 arrives on December 18, 2020. For movies arriving a little bit sooner, check out our 2019 Release Schedule.
Stephen Lang's Quaritch is set for a complicated time in the forthcoming series of Avatar sequels, according to the actor himself. James Cameron's original 2009 Avatar movie famously went on to become one of the most commercially successful films of all time and kickstarted the recent trend of 3D technology in cinemas.
Avatar Sequels: Villain Will Be Stephen Lang in All 4 Movies
collider.com/avatar-2-villain-stephen-lang-james-cameron/
James Cameron says that Stephen Lang's character will be the main villain in all four Avatar sequels and reveals that Peter Jackson inspired his approach.
Stephen Lang Is the Main Villain in All 4 'Avatar' Sequels
Lang, no stranger to playing villains, revisits Medal of Honor heroes 'Avatar' star, a longtime Westchester resident, is back with a one-man show honoring Medal of Honor recipients Check out this
Avatar 2 - CINEMABLEND
What's Going On With Avatar's Villain, According To Stephen Lang Why The Avatar Sequels Will Not Fail A lot of people seem to think that the upcoming Avatar sequels will fail, but here's why they
The Villain in All Four Avatar Sequels Already Died in the
That's right. The late Colonel Miles Quaritch, played by Stephen Lang, is somehow coming back for James Cameron's Avatar sequel, and he's going to be around for a long, long time. In a new
Avatar Sequels Are 'Complicated' For Stephen Lang's Quaritch
What's Going On With Avatar's Villain, According To Stephen Lang
James Cameron's Avatar was greatly enlivened by the presence of Stephen Lang (above). Millions of people saw the sci-fi adventure during its theatrical release and/or later on home video, but if you need a reminder, Lang portrayed Colonel Miles Quaritch, the leader of the military force on the planet Pandora.
Avatar Villain Returning For The Next Three Sequels | Access
When we first heard that Stephen Lang would be returning as Colonel Quaritch in Avatar 2, we assumed it would be in the form of a vision or a flashback since, you know, he died in Avatar. But that's not the case. Lang is set to be the main villain of not only Avatar 2, but also in Avatar 3, 4, and 5. Uh, what?
Stephen Lang Will Be Back as The Main Villain in All Four
We previously knew Lang would be back, I just assumed it would be a brief cameo role or something. But nope, he's going to be the main villain through all four sequels! Both these characters died in the first movie, but death isn't going to stop Cameron from bringing them back.
'Avatar' Villain Stephen Lang Returning for All Four Sequels
Stephen Lang, who played the villainous Colonel Miles Quaritch in James Cameron's "Avatar" blockbuster, appeared to meet his demise on Pandora. However, according to Deadline , the 61-year-old, whose character seemingly died when Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) shot him twice through the chest with an arrow, will return for the next three films in
Stephen Lang recently shed a little light on what is going on with his villain in the Avatar sequels, saying: I can tell you that we're deeply, deeply into the shooting. We're by no means finished.
'Avatar' villain Stephen Lang returns to Medal of Honor heroes
