Avatar: Fire and Ash is taking audiences back to the planet of Pandora, with James Cameron's sci-fi epic hitting theaters this holiday season. The third installment of the highly successful franchise brings the Sully family back after a devastating loss. While they contend with grief, the emergence of the Ash People complicates things, posing new moral quandaries that could change them forever.
The leader of the Ash People, Varang, is front and center, highlighting a distinctly different Na'vi tribe in Fire and Ash. Having survived a cataclysmic event that destroyed their once-vibrant home, they embraced the darkness, rising from the ashes of their past and refusing the ways of other tribes. While a war may be brewing, the Ash People offer complex ideas that could break the Sully family apart, thanks in large part to Varang's persuasive allure.
Oona Chaplin, whose distinguished resume includes Game of Thrones and Taboo, brings Varang to life in Avatar: Fire and Ash. The actress recently spoke with MovieWeb in an exclusive interview, revealing the depth she drew from to find the character. With the Ash People being deeply rooted in tragedy and loss, thriving through anger as they turned their backs on Eywa, Chaplin tapped into real-life experiences that "came from a deep place of grief."
"That was really the big part. I feel like I could relate to that because, at the time I got the part, I had a lot of anger towards the world. I was spending some time in Calais, in the jungle, which was an improvised refugee camp. I would go home, and I'd have a hot shower and weep because my shower was hot.
I was heartbroken in so many ways that I could connect to the anger, and it came from a deep place of grief. That really helped me root her in reality, not try to play the villain, but to play somebody who's doing the right thing for her people and is very principled. I would do things really differently, but I'm interested in healing, but she's not sure. No, she's interested in destroying the things that make her afraid or that challenge her. It definitely was a very, very strong place for me to root down."
Varang Presents the 'Avatar' Franchise's Most Complex Villain Yet
Varang, the leader of the Ash Clan in Avatar: Fire and Ash
20th Century Studios
Following the events of Avatar: The Way of Water, the Sully family is still mourning the death of their son, Neteyam. With the Ash People persisting through grief, they present a perfect place for the characters to seek answers. Cameron and Zoe Saldaña have both spoken about Neytiri's tragic journey, with the character descending into a dark place in the upcoming sequel as her loss tempts her away from her beliefs.
Varang serves as an excellent entry point to the Ash People, presenting a charismatic yet ominous figure who fills the role of a sympathetic villain. Cameron discussed the origins of the Ash People, even noting that Chaplin helped define a ceremony in Avatar: Fire and Ash, noting:
"Oona created her own ceremony. She created her own movement. She designed that weapon, which is actually based on a thing called bukang. But she put two of them end to end so they formed this kind of spiral. And she made up this whole dance, which is quite hypnotic. I wish I could have put more of it in, because it goes on and on. It's quite amazing. And so I coupled the sort of binding fire dance with what Oona had created."
With Avatar: Fire and Ash presenting darker and far more dire perils than before, Cameron is keeping his sci-fi franchise ever-evolving. How the Sully family contends with Varang remains to be seen, but the next epic installment is due to hit theaters on December 19 for audiences to make their way back to Pandora.
