A recent interview with Avatar actor Stephen Lang has revealed how far in advance he knew his character would be making his return.
Speaking with Deadline, Lang discussed his role as the role as the villainous Colonel Miles Quaritch and how it was always planned for him to make his return in the sequel, despite meeting his end in the first movie.
"Jim indicated to me years ago, before filming on Avatar was completed, that Quaritch had a future," Lang said. "I might have taken that with a grain of salt at the time because we'd had a few beers. Shortly after Avatar opened, Jim mentioned again that the Colonel was coming back, and by then I knew Jim well enough to know that he means what he says and he says what he means."
Lang didn't give any details on how Quaritch would make his return, though director James Cameron has previously mentioned that the film's science fiction nature would play a role.
Written and directed by James Cameron, Avatar 2 stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, Edie Falco, Kate Winslet, Oona Chaplin, Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh and David Thewlis. The film is slated to release in December 2021.