One of Avatar: The Way of Water's biggest shocks came when we learned that Stephen Lang's Miles Quaritch, resurrected as a "recombinant" Na'vi, was the father of Spider, a human child adopted by Jake Sully and Neytiri.
As the movie progressed, Spider was forced to come to terms with his father being a villain looking to lay waste to Pandora alongside the RDA. Despite being raised by Jake and Neytiri, he did bond with his father and begrudgingly saved his life.
However, that doesn't mean they're about to put their differences aside as father and son in this December's Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Talking to Empire Online, (via SFFGazette.com) Lang says, "They reconnect out of necessity. Their connection is not a solo connection. There are times when everybody comes together on some level. But, when enemies cooperate, you can be sure betrayal is just around the corner."
"Spider confuses Quaritch," the actor continues. "But Quaritch wants clarity. There is something about Spider that Quaritch really loves — not a word we associate with him. I think respect and admiration really develop in spades, as well as animosity and manipulation. The relationship will deepen — for better or worse."
That sounds ominous, and Jack Champion addressed this complicated dynamic last month when he said, "[Spider] feels very conflicted. His 'dad' is reborn into this Na’vi form and still as evil as ever, if not more so, and he still felt he had to save him. You see that guilt play out, and the evolution of Spider trying to figure out where he belongs."
A new still has also been released, hinting at the tension between these two characters and revealing a first look at their reunion. We've recently spoke to Lang and Champion for different projects; you can find those interviews here and here.
In Avatar: Fire and Ash, Jake and Neytiri will encounter the "Ash People," a new clan of Na'vi, though few concrete plot details have been revealed about what to expect beyond that.
The movie was shot back-to-back with 2022's Avatar: The Way of Water. Cameron originally planned for them to be one movie, but soon realised there was too much material and expanded the story across parts two and three (a fourth instalment is also in development).
Oona Chaplin (Game of Thrones) plays the leader of the Ash People, Varang. David Thewlis and Michelle Yeoh are also joining the cast alongside returning stars Sam Worthington, Zeo Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Britain Dalton, Jack Champion, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Bailey Bass, Joel David Moore, Edie Falco, and Dileep Rao.
Cameron, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver wrote Avatar: Fire and Ash. The movie will be released in theaters on December 19.