Stephen Lang Reveals Quaritch’s Surprising Bond With Avatar’s Ash People
Stephen Lang opens up about Colonel Quaritch’s transformation in Avatar: Fire and Ash, exploring his unexpected connection with the fierce Ash People and the evolving rivalry with Jake Sully.
Colonel Miles Quaritch has never had an easy path. After meeting his end in the original Avatar, he returned in The Way of Water as a recombinant—a Na’vi body carrying his human memories. Now, in Avatar: Fire and Ash, Quaritch faces a new chapter, finding himself entangled with the Mangkwan Clan, better known as the Ash People. This fierce Na’vi group, led by the formidable Varang, is obsessed with fire and war, and Quaritch’s connection to them is both unexpected and revealing.
Adapting to a New World
Stephen Lang, who brings Quaritch to life, describes the character’s ongoing struggle to adapt to Pandora.
“He must adapt to Pandora will he or nill he. He’s tried to make Pandora adapt to him,”
Lang shares. As the former head of security at Hell’s Gate, Quaritch always believed his mission was doomed from the start. But things have shifted. Now, with Eywa’s DNA running through his veins, Quaritch is forced to find a new way to survive—one that fits the man he’s become.
The Ash People, with their love of conflict and the ever-present scent of war, offer Quaritch a sense of familiarity.
“When he goes to where they live, he’s in familiar territory. The very sulfurous smell of conflict and war is in the air. This is something that he understands. This is a milieu in which he exists.”
For Quaritch, the Mangkwan Clan represents a world he knows all too well.
Complex Ties With Jake Sully
Jake Sully, Quaritch’s longtime adversary, believes there’s hope for Quaritch to truly connect with Pandora. Throughout the film, Jake pushes him to open up to the world around him, hoping for a transformation. Lang notes the complicated relationship between the two, saying,
“There’s been a definitely an evolution in the relationship, a deepening of the relationship, and, in some sense, there’s been a widening of the chasm between them.”
Despite their differences, a strange mutual dependence has formed, especially with the presence of Spider, the young boy who ties their fates together.
Both Quaritch and Sully share a Marine background and a mission-driven mindset, which adds layers to their rivalry. The dynamic between them is always shifting, and Lang finds joy in exploring these changes on screen.
Clash of Titans
Fans can expect the rivalry to reach new heights.
“There’s a battle royale at the end, a real donnybrook that happens, and there’s always a fight between Sully and Quaritch in these films,”
Lang says with a grin. Each showdown is unique, reminiscent of legendary heavyweight boxing matches—brutal, intense, and never quite the same twice.
Avatar: Fire and Ash hits theaters December 19, promising another epic chapter in the saga. Until then, audiences can revisit the previous film or look ahead to the year’s biggest movie releases.