Producer Jon Landau reveals that after a brief cameo in Avatar: The Way of Water, one major antagonist from the original movie will be back with a vengeance in Avatar 3. After the record-breaking success of James Cameron's original movie in 2009, the director returned with Avatar: The Way of Water last December, continuing the story of Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña). With the most recent sequel having been a smash hit, the Sully family saga is confirmed to continue with a third, fourth, and fifth movie.
In a recent interview with The Wrap, Landau reveals that Giovanni Ribisi's Parker Selfridge, a secondary human villain in the original film, will return with a much larger role in Avatar 3. Selfridge had a brief cameo in Avatar: The Way of Water during a video sequence in which Quaritch (Stephen Lang) learns about how he has returned in a clone recombinant body, but he was otherwise absent from the sequel. Check out Landau's full comment below:
"I think we’ll definitely see more of the RDA as we move forward. We know that Giovanni’s coming back as Selfridge. We hinted at him with just on a video clip in this movie. But he will be back in force as we move forward.”
What Selfridge's Return Means For Avatar 3
In the first Avatar, Selfridge essentially represents the dangerous power of human greed, leading the RDA expedition to mine Unobtanium despite the damage that this will do to Pandora and its inhabitants. Selfridge is shown boarding a human craft after his defeat at the end of the first movie, and it seems like this defeat didn't deter his desire to exploit Pandora for all it's worth.
With Avatar: The Way of Water introducing the tulkun and amrita, the ultra-valuable substance they produce that stops human aging, unobtanium is no longer the most valuable material to be exploited on Pandora. With the tulkun confirmed to return in Avatar 3, it's possible that Selfridge will be leading the charge to gather as much of this new substance as possible.
Despite being one of the biggest blockbusters in recent memory, the core story in Avatar: The Way of Water is actually very character-driven, focusing mainly on the Sullys and Quaritch's quest for revenge. Selfridge's return in Avatar 3 could suggest that the story will once more grow in scope, depicting the escalating scale of the battle between the RDA and the Na'vi. With Quaritch, General Ardmore (Edie Falco), Selfridge, and tulkun-hunter Mick Scoresby all confirmed to return in Avatar 3, it's certainly looking like the Sully family will be facing a challenge bigger than ever before.
Source: The Wrap
