Editor's Note: The following article contains full spoilers for 'Avatar: The Way of Water'.Typing the words "Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) is now in theaters" is an almost surreal thing to say at this point. After an unprecedented eight delays and well over a decade since the original 2009 hit, the sequel to one of the most lucrative feature films of all time finally makes its way into theaters on December 16th, 2022, just in time for the holiday season. Avatar (2009) as a film has its fair share of critics, but even the most vocal of them have been eager to see what visionary director James Cameron has planned for the first of four planned sequels. 20th Century Studios and their relatively new parent company Disney have also been intrigued to see how audiences will receive future films, hence why Avatar made a return to theaters this past month complete with remastered and updated visuals.
The aquatic-themed sequel also takes place well over a decade after the events of the original film on the hostile extraterrestrial planet of Pandora, once again centering around human-turned-Na'Vi, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), his wife and fellow leader of the Omaticaya Clan, Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and the rest of their new family. The full cast features a good balance of both new stars and returning favorites, the latter of which is made up of a few names some fans may be surprised to hear are coming back. For a whole comprehensive guide on whose joining, who's returning, and even who's being resurrected for the Avatar franchise, consider the following your comprehensive cast and character guide for Avatar: The Way of Water.
Sam Worthington as Jake Sully
Sam Worthington (Hacksaw Ridge) became a universally recognized star after playing Jake Sully, the main protagonist of the franchise so far.
Jake, a disabled marine, was brought in by the Resources Development Administration because his identical twin brother was killed in a robbery gone wrong. His brother, Tom, was a part of the Avatar program in the RDA's expedition of Pandora, which aimed to integrate humans with the local alien Na'Vi population by splicing human DNA with Na'Vi DNA. Jake meets scientist Norm Spellman (Joel David Moore) and Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) who get the inexperienced marine up to speed before sending him off in his new Avatar body. Jake eventually meets Neytiri, the daughter of the local tribe's chieftain, and convinces the Na'Vi to accept him and train him in their ways. Though the malevolent Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang) tries to use Jake as a spy, Jake not only falls in love with Neytiri but also the Na'Vi people, ultimately choosing to stand up against the greed of the human invaders and defend the planet.
Jake succeeded, and he and Neytiri are now raising a family of their own, consisting of their three biological children Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), Lo'ak (Britain Dalton), and Tuktirey (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss), as well as their two adopted children in the human outcast Spider (Jack Champion) and Grace Augustine's miracle off-spring Kiri, also played (oddly enough) by Sigourney Weaver. They've lived a mostly peaceful life throughout the past few years, but when the human threat returns to Pandora, Jake and Neytiri's family will very quickly be put in harm's way. Jake is quite tough on his children, but it all ultimately comes from a place of love, wanting them to become Na'vi that will lead their people to victory against the "sky people".
Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri
Zoe Saldaña is no stranger to the science-fiction genre, having starred in both the Star Trek and Guardians of the Galaxy franchises, but her role as Neytiri is without a doubt one of her most sympathetic performances.
Neytiri is part of the Omaticaya clan, the daughter of Chief Eytukan (Wes Studi) and Spiritual Leader Mo'at (CCH Pounder). She is a skilled hunter and cunning warrior, and when she sees Jake Sully lost in the jungle, she is about to eliminate the "sky person", as her people call them, masquerading as one of her own kind. She's stopped by a seed from the great tree, a massively important religious symbol for her tribe, and takes it as a sign from their deity Eywa that this outsider has a role to play in the fate of Pandora. Neytiri convinces her parents that Jake should learn their ways, and she is the one who teaches him how to hunt, how to traverse the land, and how to tame and bond with the greatest beasts on the planet. During all of this, Neytiri also finds herself falling in love with Jake despite her betrothal to another Na'vi warrior, Tsu'tey (Laz Alonso). She almost loses faith in Jake when the other humans destroy her home and kill Chief Eytukan, but they ultimately reconcile and succeed in pushing the humans out of their home.
Like Jake, Neytiri's life has changed quite a bit since then after becoming a mother to five children and becoming the leader of her entire tribe. Still, Neytiri is still the badass warrior queen that she's always been. As clearly seen in the film, Neytiri is still more than capable of fighting when the need arises, and there was no bigger need for her than saving her children from being held hostage by some deadly new Avatars, one of which is occupied by an old enemy.
Sigourney Weaver as Kiri
Believe it or not, Sigourney Weaver returns to the world of Avatar, despite her character definitely dying in the prior film.
Dr. Grace Augustine, an expert on all things related to Pandora and the head of the Avatar program, represents the last vestige of peace between humans and Na'vi before things turn violent. One of her attempts to build relations with native Na'vi even involved building an educational facility, which is why so many of the Na'vi are able to speak English. She's reluctant to accept Jake on her team since he knows absolutely nothing about this planet, but his acceptance into the Omaticaya tribe begins a friendship between them. She's one of the few humans to help Jake rebel against the RDA, but when making a daring mistake, Grace is shot by Quaritch. In the last attempt to save her life, Jake brings Grace to the sacred tree of Eywa, where they perform a ritual to try and move Grace's consciousness from her dying human body to her Avatar body. The ritual fails, but in her dying breath, Grace says to Jake that she's with Eywa and that the mysterious deity is real.
So if Grace died, how is Sigourney Weaver back in Avatar: The Way of Water? Well, somehow, Grace had a child named Kiri, one of Jake and Neytiri's adopted children, and the Na'vi girl seen on the official poster. Grace's Avatar body is still intact in the new film and Kiri affectionately refers to the now-empty Avatar as her mother. The birth is nothing short of miraculous and the film doesn't give a definitive answer as to how her existence is possible, but the prevailing theory is that she is a byproduct of the goddess Eywa after the seemingly failed ritual to revive Grace in the first film, given that Kiri has a unique connection to the wildlife of Pandora.
Stephen Lang as Miles Quaritch
Yet another character who seemingly died in the previous film yet is returning for the sequel is Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch, the main antagonist of the first movie.
Quaritch was the head of the entire "security" division of the RDA's operations on Pandora, but he acted more like the leader of a private military force. Quaritch first wanted to use Jake to gain to learn the ins and outs of the Na'vi and their home tree, but his intentions weren't to find a path to peace like Grace and her team were. What Quaritch really wanted was a tactical advantage over the natives, so he could form an attack plan. Destroying their home wasn't enough for the general, and he also decided to bomb the Na'vi's retreat and their most sacred location at the tree of Eywa. What Quaritch didn't anticipate was Jake's change of heart, as he led the Na'vi in an epic battle against Quaritch's forces, resulting in a two-on-one confrontation where Jake and Neytiri struck the mad colonel down once and for all.
Or so they thought, as Quaritch has returned for the sequel thanks to a DNA backup. Unlike Sigourney Weaver's Kiri, Stephen Lang's character isn't an offspring or relative of Quaritch but is actually Quaritch himself in a new Avatar body. Technically this is a clone of Quaritch after the colonel and a select few of his elite soldiers were instructed to have their DNA and memories copied right before the first film's final battle, so this new Quaritch has all the memories of the villain up until that point. Lang will also be rejoined by Matt Gerald (Daredevil) as Corporal Lyle Wainfleet, another villainous character from the last film who certainly died but has been revived as well. If the RDA is capable of reviving their deadliest soldiers, this could lead to an outcome where Quaritch could potentially become an immortal god and would never stop seeking revenge on Jake and his family. This quest for revenge has a wrench thrown in when Quaritch learns his own son has been adopted into the Sully clan, potentially beginning a redemption arc for the villain.
Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge
Practically the only major human villain who survived the first film, Giovanni Ribisi returns as Parker Selfridge, the head administrator of the RDA.
Quaritch is likely the villain people think of when they think of Avatar's antagonist, but Parker Selfridge is the colonel's boss and the one who holds all the cards. The RDA's and as such Selfridge's end goal is to mine Unobtanium, an incredibly valuable mineral found only on Pandora. The Omaticaya tribe happens to be living right on one of the biggest repositories of Unobtanium on the planet, which is exactly why Selfridge wants them out of their way at any cost. We last saw Selfridge being forced off of the planet, but as those who saw the recent theatrical Avatar re-release may have noticed, Selfridge's last scene was extended slightly for him to tell Jake that this conflict is not over.
Selfridge has a smaller cameo role in The Way of Water but is still a malignant presence in the Avatar universe.
CCH Pounder as Mo'at
Another returning actor from Avatar is Carol Christine Hilaria Pounder who reprises her role as Mo'at, the spiritual leader of the Omaticaya tribe and Neytiri's mother.
When Jake was first brought before the rest of the tribe, things were not going in his favor despite Neytiri's explaining her sign from Eywa. Thankfully, as the tribe's religious leader, Mo'at was able to step in and give Jake the chance he needed. Mo'at is often the one who comes to Jake's aid when he needs it, freeing him from his bonds when the Na'vi imprisons him for his alleged betrayal and helping him transfer his consciousness to his Avatar body permanently.
Though her late husband Eytukan passed his chief duties onto Neytiri and Jake, Mo'at is still the authority on all things related to Eywa, whose mysterious ways will likely be expanded upon in future films. Like Parker Selfridge, Mo'at appearance in The Way of Water is essentially a cameo.
Joel David Moore as Norm Spellman
The last major returning cast member is Joel David Moore (Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story) as Dr. Norm Spellman, Jake's last remaining human ally.
Norm is the polar opposite of Jake in many ways. Where Jake is the dumb, headstrong marine, Norm is an intelligent, experienced scientist who has dedicated his life to studying the Na'vi. He instantly forms a bond with his mentor, Grace, and sides with her and JAke when the RDA escalates the conflict with the Na'vi and things turn violent. In the final battle, Norm's Avatar body is killed, and he wakes up back in his human form, and he's seen at the end of the film alive and well but unable to become a Na'vi again.
Many fans have theorized that Spellman may have had a relationship with Grace and could be the father of Kiri, but the true answer is likely far more supernatural in nature.
Jamie Flatters as Neteyam
The oldest of the biological Sully children, Neteyam is the next in line to lead the Omaticaya tribe. This gives Neteyam the responsibility of being a role model to his siblings and setting an example for what conflicts may come, and he needs to learn the fundamentals of becoming a great leader if he hopes to follow in his parents' footsteps.
Being the oldest, Neteyam is often expected to be a good example to his siblings and is often scolded by his father when he fails. Neteyam's aspirations to become a great leader were both dashed and fulfilled, as he died at the hands of Quaritch while working to save his siblings. While Jake and Neytiri mourn for their firstborn child, they can at least find comfort in knowing their son died a hero and is at peace with Eywa.
Britain Dalton as Lo'ak
The middle child of the Sully family, Lo'ak is something of an outcast among his siblings. Lo'ak is a bit more of the rebellious type, though he finds solace in exploring the lands of Pandora. As seen in the brief sneak peek at the end of the Avatar re-release, Lo'ak befriends a whale-like creature called a Tulkun, showing that Lo'ak might get along a bit better with animals than he does with other people. He also forms a deep bond with Tsireya of the Metkayina tribe, perhaps even a romantic one.
Trinity Jo-Li Bliss as Tuktirey Sully
The third and youngest member of the family is Tuktirey, who is also the one we know the least about apart from her age. Tuk, being the baby of the group, is always trying to match the skill and ambition of her siblings, despite the dangers of Pandora and the human invaders. With her oldest brother gone, Tuk will likely follow the family tradition of training to become a great warrior to protect Pandora from those who wish it harm.
Jack Champion as Miles "Spider" Socorro
Along with Kiri, Miles "Spider" Socorro is another one of Jake and Neytiri's adopted children, but Neytiri isn't as much of a supporter of Spider given that he is 100% human.
Spider's introduction brings forth a shocking revelation - Miles Quaritch has a son. Following Quartich's initial death, Miles Jr. was abandoned by the human colony and was too young to make the long and physically draining experience of returning to Earth, so Jake and Neytiri accepted him into their familial circle (though the matriarch is still untrustworthy of humans). Being human also means that Spider can't breathe the air on Pandora and requires a rebreather to walk around in unpressurized areas, making his life on Pandora likely even more difficult. He earns the trust of his father, even going as far as to save him in the final battle, but the film ends with the father and son continuing to be estranged.
Jemaine Clement and Brendan Cowell as Dr. Ian Garvin and Scoresby
What We Do in the Shadows (2014) creator and star Jemaine Clement will be playing a marine biologist in the new film. He's also joined by his partner in crime Scoresby (Brendan Cowell), a ruthless hunter of Tulkun.
Garvin, being a marine biologist, seems a bit more interested in studying the marine life of Pandora rather than killing it, being incredibly ambivalent to the violent and invasive process of hunting Tulkun. Scoresby on the other hand (no pun intended given how he meets his fate) loves the thrill of the hunt, not feeling the slightest bit remorseful for massacring these peaceful creatures for their miracle resource that stops human aging.
Edie Falco as General Frances Ardmore
With Quaritch taking a more hands-on approach to the human crusade against the Na'Vi, General Frances Ardmore, played by Edie Falco (The Sopranos) is controlling much of the current military operation.
Being a general technically makes Ardmore Quaritch's superior, though we don't know much about her character beyond that. She'll either be the commanding officer to finally put Quaritch in his place or perhaps will even surpass the villain as an even greater and vastly superior malignant threat to the living beings of Pandora as the franchise goes on. Ardmore also represents that the threat of human colonization has gone from bad to worse, as now the RDA is looking to completely take over the planet rather than just use it as a mining operation.
Kate Winslet as Ronal
Avatar: The Way of Water also introduces a brand-new tribe of Na'vi with the Metkayina Clan, who are more than just a separate group of Na'vi natives. Living close to and even on the Pandoran sea, the Metkayina seemingly have some evolutionary differences from the more land-locked Omaticaya clan, such as lighter blue skin and more fin-like arms and tails to help them traverse the land. The matriarch of this tribe is Ronal, played by a previous James Cameron collaborator, Kate Winslet.
Ronal is the husband of Tonowari (Cliff Curtis) and mother to Tsireya (Bailey Bass) and Aonung (Filip Geljo) and appears to be pregnant with a third child as well. Ronal is a remarkably skilled warrior leader for her tribe, and can even be seen preparing for an epic battle despite still carrying a child in her womb. Her fierce loyalty to her family members and a deep desire to protect them from any and all threats, so she's quite a lot like Neytiri in that sense, but she also initially has a difficult time accepting the on-the-run Sully clan into her home.
Cliff Curtis as Tonowari
It's quite common for people to get James Cameron's Avatar films confused with the unrelated hit Nickelodeon show, Avatar: The Last Airbender. Still, in something of a funny coincidence Cliff Curtis, who played Firelord Ozai in M. Night Shyamalan's 2010 adaptation of The Last Airbender (which is a movie that is clearly unanimously loved by all) will be joining the cast of James Cameron's upcoming film as Tonowari.
Tonowari is the chief of the Metkayina Clan, serving along with his wife and partner Ronal. This makes Tonowari the father of Tsireya and Aonung and the patriarch of the Metkayina people. Chief Tonowari's role predictably provides him full control of the reefs of Pandora, essentially making him the king of the planet's seas. Tonowari also has noticeable face tattoos marking his status as a leader and warrior, and Curtis himself has said that both his character and the Metkayinan culture are heavily inspired by real-life Maori culture.
Bailey Bass and Filip Geljo as Tsireya and Aonung
The children of Tonowari and Ronal, Tsireya and Aonung are effectively the future of the Metkayina Clan.
Like many members of their tribe, the two siblings are free divers, exploring the vast open oceans for anything they can scavenge and use for their people's advantage. Tsireya quickly forms an attachment with Lo'ak. Her brother, Aonung, is very much like his father.
Payakan
The final significant character is one that doesn't have a voice, yet has a lot to say, that being the outcast Tulkun named Payakan.
The Tulkun are more than just pretty whale-like creatures. They're highly intelligent entities capable of complex thoughts and even emotions, forming bonds with the Na'Vi people as surrogate siblings. Payakan also forms a bond with Lo'ak, and the two bond as young people are ostracized by their peers. Payakan is no longer allowed to travel with other Tulkun after he led an attack against the human hunters after his mother was killed, which led to a massacre of both Tulkun and Na'vi alike. Still, Payakan redeems himself in the end and helps the Sully family defeat Quaritch and his goons despite the Tulkun way of peace.