Warning! Spoilers ahead for Avatar: The Way of Water.
Avatar: The Way of Water star Stephen Lang addresses whether the Na'vi version of Colonel Miles Quaritch can ever be redeemed. After serving as the central villain in James Cameron's 2009 original film, Quaritch returns in the recently-released sequel. Avatar: The Way of Water sees Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and their children on the run after the return of humans to Pandora, and the film has already earned glowing reviews from audiences. Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) may have killed the human version of Quaritch in the first movie, but the ruthless military leader returns in the sequel by having his memories uploaded into an avatar body.
The Recombinant version of Quaritch in Avatar: The Way of Water represents a truly formidable villain for Jake, but now, in a new interview with Collider, Lang hints that his character may not be beyond redemption. While the actor doesn't comment on whether Quaritch's redemption storyline will ever play out in the 3 additional sequels, he does reveal that, in his mind, becoming a member of the Na'vi via an avatar opens up the character to some interesting development. Check out Lang's full comment below:
“I think one should always remain open to the possibilities. Who can say? I mean, this is a mysterious world. AWOW works in strange ways and willy nilly, he is part of that world now. What he has learned is that he cannot shape that world according to his desires, the way he wants to do things. He needs to adapt to it. And so I think under those circumstances, anything is possible. Do I think personally that he’s redeemable? Yeah, sure. Will he be redeemed? Can’t say.”
How The Way Of Water Sets Up Quaritch's Avatar 3 Role
While Quaritch in the Avatar: The Way of Water displays many of the same villainous characteristics that the human version of the character had in the original movie, the sequel features one major development that could shape Lang's character's future. Spider (Jack Champion), a human, is first introduced as one of Jake and Neytiri's adopted children, but it's later revealed that he is, in fact, Quaritch's son. The two characters spend much of the film together and, while their relationship is complicated and fraught with conflict, the ending to Avatar: The Way of Water teases that there could be genuine love between them. After Jake bests Quaritch in their final battle, Spider saves his father from drowning and drags him to safety.
Although Spider and Quaritch part ways at the end of the film, Avatar 3 is poised to explore their relationship further, potentially setting up a redemption storyline for the villain. The Na'vi version of Quaritch is not technically Spider's father, but human Quaritch's memories mean that he feels like he is. Cameron puts themes of family and parenthood in Avatar: The Way of Water at the forefront, with much of the storyline revolving around Jake and Neytiri trying to keep their children safe. Although not explored in the sequel, Jake and Quaritch both now being fathers creates an interesting connection between them that could eventually lead to some kind of mutual understanding.
Quaritch is essentially pure evil in the first Avatar, but Cameron's latest film develops the character in new ways that could set the stage for the three sequels to come. It's not clear if Quaritch will serve as the antagonist again in the next movie, but Spider, who has been brought up as a Na'vi, could be the key to redeeming him in the long run. It remains to be seen what is next for the Sully family after Avatar: The Way of Water, but Quaritch seems poised to continue to play an important and evolving role in their ongoing story.
Source: Collider
