Will Quaritch Become a Protector?
In the Avatar movies, Colonel Miles Quaritch starts as the tough bad guy leading humans against the Na’vi people on Pandora. Played by Stephen Lang, he is a soldier who will do anything to get resources from the planet, even if it means fighting the blue-skinned natives.https://www.aol.com/articles/avatar-star-stephen-lang-quaritch-180000526.html Fans wonder if this hard man could ever turn into a protector of the Na’vi or Pandora itself.
Quaritch comes back strong in the new films. After dying in the first movie, he returns as a special Na’vi body called a recombinant. In Avatar: The Way of Water, he chases Jake Sully and his family without stopping.https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/4074433/review-avatar-fire-and-ash-spectacle-cgi-signifies-nothing/ Now, in Avatar: Fire and Ash, he teams up with the Ash People, a rough group of Na’vi who fight other clans. These Ash Na’vi are mean, violent, and even eat their enemies sometimes. Quaritch arms them and uses them to battle the good Na’vi clans.https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/4074433/review-avatar-fire-and-ash-spectacle-cgi-signifies-nothing/
His real son, Spider, adds a twist. Spider grew up with the Sully family but learns Quaritch is his dad. Spider struggles with bad air on Pandora and feels pulled between his blood father and his adopted family.https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/4074433/review-avatar-fire-and-ash-spectacle-cgi-signifies-nothing/ This family tie makes Quaritch more than just a killer. Actor Stephen Lang says his bond with the role has grown deeper over three films. He respects Quaritch but fears what the colonel can do as the stories get bigger.https://squaremile.com/culture/film-tv/stephen-lang-interview-avatar/
Lang’s past roles as soldiers shaped Quaritch too. He wrote a play called Beyond Glory about Medal of Honor winners. Fun fact: The big robot suit in the first Avatar has a tattoo saying “Beyond Glory” on it.https://squaremile.com/culture/film-tv/stephen-lang-interview-avatar/ This shows Quaritch sees himself as a warrior with a code, not pure evil.
So far, Quaritch picks sides that hurt the main Na’vi. He fights for humans and now backs the angry Ash People against everyone else. His son’s pull might soften him one day. With more movies coming, director James Cameron could surprise us. Quaritch lives in a world of tough choices, where protecting one group means fighting another.
Sources
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/4074433/review-avatar-fire-and-ash-spectacle-cgi-signifies-nothing/
https://squaremile.com/culture/film-tv/stephen-lang-interview-avatar/
https://www.aol.com/articles/avatar-star-stephen-lang-quaritch-180000526.html
