When James Cameron directed The Terminator, the idea behind the villain was one who would keep coming back even after getting killed. That made him dangerous and deadly. Although Cameron’s Avatar is a totally different film, the director seems to have taken a leaf out of his own book while designing Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) in his new and blockbuster franchise. The sequel presents Quaritch in a different form and with a new intent. With Avatar: The Way of Water, Quaritch not only emerges as one of the characters you could place your bet on going ahead in the franchise but a true-blue baddie in the sci-fi world.
How Miles Quaritch survives Avatar death?
At the end of Avatar (2009), Miles Quaritch is fatally wounded by Neytiri’s arrows. In the sequel, his memories have been uploaded into a Na’vi body. In essence, Quaritch is still alive with his brain inside the Na’vi avatar. In the Avatar universe, such characters have been referred to as Recoms (Recombinants). While in the first film, Quaritch was human-size, in the sequel he is bigger, bluer and angrier, thus the perfect villain.
Read: Avatar 2 Box Office: James Cameron’s film set for blistering start, aims Rs 40 crore on Day 1
Why Miles Quaritch is MVP of Avatar franchise?
After ‘dying’ in the first Avatar film, Quaritch returns with a new agenda. Now, he seeks revenge for the lives lost during the first battle and is not mining for resources on alien land. With this change, we empathise with him a bit more. In the sequel, he has a defined character arc. Being inside an Avatar makes him one of them. He learns the ways of the Na’vi and comes to appreciate the beauty of Pandora. He has also dialed down on the cruelty meter a lot more. His agenda is to avenge the lives of fellow marines who died in the war. This adds to his appeal even though it is at the cost of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his family’s safety.
‘A father protects’
One of the most interesting aspects of Avatar 2 is the relationship that forms between Quaritch and his son Spider. They bond in the film while exploring Pandora. In making him a fatherly figure, Cameron lent him some credibility and likeability. Their bond is put to test when Spider’s life is at stake. At that moment, Quaritch embodies the true value of what it means to be a family, which coincidentally is the theme of Avatar as well. Don’t be surprised if Quaritch and Sully fight by each other’s side against a common enemy in one of the upcoming Avatar sequels.
Nevertheless, with his distinct style and strong performance, Stephen Lang has already made Quaritch the only Avatar character you would love to hate. This presents him with immense possibilities for the future of Avatar.