Avatar: Fire and Ash is likely to be one of the biggest movies of 2025, and details from a recent interview have suggested that one of the most interesting heroes could wind up switching sides in the upcoming sequel. The Sully family has changed since the death of Neteyam, and Fire and Ash will have to contend with these complex evolutions in their dynamics. The tension between humans and the Na’vi has never been higher, and all of this could come to a head in the sequel with one of the franchise’s heroes descending into villainy.
There are several upcoming Avatar movies, and the series set up many of the main characters for the sequels in The Way of Water. Jake and Neytiri have had several kids, including Neteyam, Lo’ak, and Tuktirey, and they have taken in Kiri as one of their own. This family is a тιԍнт-knit unit, with each member bringing something special to the collective. However, there is one more character who is ostensibly part of the family and will have a much more important role in the upcoming sequels.
Spider’s Actor Is Teasing A Conflicted Character In Avatar 3
Jack Champion Spoke To Empire About Spider’s Difficult Journey
Jack Champion plays Miles Socorro in the Avatar films, better known by his nickname Spider. In The Way of Water, it is revealed that he was fathered by villain Miles Quaritch. Spider does not feel an affinity for his father, and actually carries some shame for being related to him. Still, after saving him from drowning, there is no denying that there is a complex connection between Spider and the Recombinant Na’vi Avatar of Quartich. Champion spoke to Empire, where he detailed the character’s inner conflicts:
He 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.
This conflict was made evident in The Way of Water. When introduced in Jake’s narration, Spider is described as being less of a child to them and more of a ‘stray cat’. This becomes upsetting when recognizing how much Spider loves the Sully family. He feels shame for his father’s violent actions and wants nothing more than to bond with Kiri, whom he sees as his best friend. When Neytiri threatens him in The Way of Water‘s emotional climax, looking to exchange “a son for a son”, this would have felt like an incredible betrayal.
Spider’s Family Status After The Way Of Water Could Shift
Perhaps Spider Wasn’t Meant To Be A Sully After All
The ending of Way of Water saw Spider saving Quaritch from drowning, and this reflected a change in the character’s outlook. Spider has been raised to hate his father, but the Recombinant iteration of Quaritch, attempting to give him some autonomy even after kidnapping and forcing him to help them, has actually been the kindest that any adult has ever been to him. While friends like Kiri are clearly dear to Spider, and it is unlikely that he would turn against them entirely, he is in the process of being seduced over to the other side.
Jake does not choose to become a father figure to Spider, and Neytiri rejects him. These differences will be significant in Fire and Ash, which will see the Sully family alongside the Metkayini tribe, rather than in their original home with Omatikaya. This puts great physical distance between them and the outposts that Spider lives within. Even if Spider were to return to his home at the RDA colony, Hell’s Gate, the Sully family would have moved away, and he would no longer be able to be a part of their ranks.
With the Sully family so far away, Recombinant Quaritch may become the only friend that Spider has on all of Pandora.
Spider returning to Hell’s Gate seems like it would be short-lived for the character, as he is too active, too young, and too pᴀssionate to be kept in such a place. To persist in the story, Spider will need to make new connections with other characters. His story must continue, but his only bond seems to be with Quaritch and the other Recombinants. These relationships will be important in marking his future path, which could lead him to find connections even with the RDA.
Theory: Spider Will Become A Villain In Avatar 3
This Would See Spider Inverting Jake Sully’s Original Journey
Spider’s allegiances are slowly changing, and as he ages, he will become an antagonist to the Na’vi. He has been raised by humans but has spent all of his time among the Na’vi, especially the Sully family. However, doing so has diminished his own personhood, and the people that he has loved most have treated him poorly, and of little consequence. His relationship with Quaritch, who he was raised to believe was a horrible villain, has shown him that there is great complexity to humanity and its characterizations.
Spider’s game-changing decision from the end of The Way of Water, where he chooses to save Quaritch from drowning, is only the first step on this journey. Leaving Quaritch to drown would have been in service to the Sully family, and saving his life could almost be seen as a direct betrayal of them. Still, Spider’s experience of this is far more complex. He is going through a great deal, and the explanation of The Way of Water‘s ending that Champion gave to The Hollywood Reporter helps to explain this:
Well, I think it’s because he spent months with Quaritch at that point. So they built up this father-son relationship, and Spider, being a lonesome character that’s always wanted a family, latched onto that. And Quaritch just saved his life from Neytiri [Zoe Saldana]. So at that moment, he thought, “I’m not going to join him. I’m sure as hell not going to do that, but I can’t just let him die. That’s just as good as murdering him.” So Quaritch is kind of his father, and at that moment, he might be his last hope of a family. So it’s a whole bag of things.
How Spider’s Villainous Turn Would Change Avatar 3 (& Beyond)
Spider Joining The Recombinants Or Even The RDA Could Complicate Morality In This World
Spider is going to turn on the Sully family. He will believe that this will be for the greater good and will likely also think that it is to the benefit of his friends, including Kiri. Spider is going to become an adult and will be susceptible to manipulation. Whether he remains in the service of the Recombinants or is pushed even further and is seduced into becoming a member of the RDA, the character will remain instrumental to the series, especially as there are plans for the Na’vi to go to Earth in a sequel.
While Avatar 4 is currently scheduled for 2029, a delay beyond this time is fairly likely. Avatar: The Way of Water was originally scheduled for 2014, and Fire and Ash has already been delayed nine times, suggesting these future sequels may be further off than expected.
James Cameron is an incredible filmmaker who likes to play with the concepts of good and evil, and Fire and Ash looks to confront this with Na’vi villains, including Varang. Understanding that there is great complexity to morality, it would also make sense to instill a sympathetic character like Spider among the human villains of the series. Perhaps Quaritch being too driven by revenge against Jake will push Spider away from him, too. This could cause Spider to become a part of the RDA in the sequels, taking the spot of the franchise’s overall antagonist.
Jake’s children appear to be important protagonists for the series’ future, and it makes sense that their eventual villain may follow the same trend, having descended from Quaritch. Spider is a great addition to the franchise, and Champion is growing to be a great performer in Hollywood. Having Spider turn to overt villainy over the next few installments in the franchise, beginning with Avatar: Fire and Ash, seems like a likely, albeit emotionally difficult, path forward for the franchise.
