Spoiler Warning: The following article contains major spoilers for Avatar: Fire and Ash. If you’ve yet to watch the new 2025 movie, please exercise extreme caution.
It has been a couple of weeks since I saw Avatar: Fire and Ash, and there’s one character I haven’t been able to stop thinking about. No, it’s not Stephen Lang’s Quaritch, whose fate is left up in the air. Nor is it Sigourney Weaver’s Kiri, who was at the heart and soul of this massive box office hit. Instead, it’s Varang, the leader of the Mangkwan, a.k.a. Ash People, played by Game of Thrones alum Oona Chaplin.
While it’s still not yet known if James Cameron is going to continue his epic sci-fi franchise for a fourth and fifth movie (there are plans for the sequels), Varang is the one character I’m most excited to see return. With one of the best and most complex stories in the critically-acclaimed Avatar 3, a unique look and personality, and some unfinished business to take care of, I have plenty of reasons to want her return. Hear me out…
Varang Is One Of The Most Interesting Avatar Characters Introduced So Far
James Cameron has introduced multiple incredibly interesting characters throughout the Avatar franchise, and Varang quickly rose to the upper echelon of my personal list (she’s neck-and-neck with Zoe Saldaña’s vengeful Neytiri and Quaritch at this point). Sure, she’s a remarkably violent, unhinged, and terrifying Na’vi, but she’s also a character who has been shaped by hardship, suffering, and loss. You could argue that she’s downright evil, but there’s a reason behind everything she does.
Whenever Varang would show up on screen, I knew something great was going to follow, and that was very much the case. From her introduction to her first interactions with Quaritch, to her witnessing Kiri’s big moment in the final minutes of Avatar: Fire and Ash, there was so much to love.
I Want To See How She Handles The Fallout Of Two Major Scenes
There are so many different directions Varang’s story could take in future sequels, and I am here for anything and everything Cameron and company throw my way. I mean, with the leader of the Metkayina being such a unique and three-dimensional character, continuing her story and allowing it to reach new heights would only further propel the Avatar franchise into the next decade. That said, I would love to see how she handles the fallout of two major Fire and Ash scenes.
First, in the event that Quaritch is actually dead after jumping from the cliff near the end of the movie, I would love to see Varang grapple with the death of her lover. Hell, even if he is still alive somehow, having her think he’s dead would add another layer to this already complex story.
Then there’s the fallout of Varang witnessing Kiri’s connection with Eywa, a scene that left the typically strong and aggressive leader running for her life. Having felt abandoned by the All-Mother for all those years after her village was brought to ruin by a volcano, it would be interesting to see how she comes to terms with this power and if she changes her tune. This could be the start of a whole new chapter for her…
Like the rumors about Avatar going to Earth in the future, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens with Varang if these planned sequels end up happening. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
