(SPOILER) Should Actually Be The Protagonist In James Cameron's Avatar Series
Warning: Spoilers for "Avatar: The Way of Water"
"Avatar: The Way of Water" brought back the spectacle of the first "Avatar" but also appears to be upping the character work as well. The returning cast of Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, and Stephen Lang see their respective characters take on a new adventure with the ocean tribe of the Metkayina, some in more unexpected ways than others. Along the way, we are introduced to a new grab bag of characters, including Jake Sully's (Worthington) children, the Metkayina chief Tonowari (Cliff Curtis) and his wife Ronal (Kate Winslet), and the whale-like Tulkuns. However, within its bevy of strange creatures and fearsome monsters, possibly the most compelling character in the entire film is one of its only humans. Miles "Spider" Socorro (Jack Champion) is the teenage son of the first film's antagonist Colonel Miles Quaritch (Lang). Born in the humans' base set on Pandora and unable to be transported back to Earth as a baby, Jake Sully brought the boy into his family and taught him in the way of the Na'vi.
Simply put, there is way too much potential with Spider. The character acts as a link between the Na'vi and human world that opens up a whole sea (no pun intended) of possibilities to develop unique conflict, both within the character himself and the grander world of Pandora. Bringing such a unique perspective may just be what the franchise needs to defy fan expectations and add a twist that'll change the course of the series.
Spider has one of the biggest internal conflicts in the film
Spider holds a unique place in the greater themes of the "Avatar" saga. Originally introduced in the comic "Avatar: The High Ground," the character was originally described as knowing his mother, but never his father. For the character's cinematic debut in "Avatar: The Way of Water," this idea was flipped, with the character's father being revealed as Colonel Miles Quaritch early on. Having this connection to not only a human, but the one who nearly took down his precious forest home and Na'vi family, is obviously one that causes great conflict.
It isn't helped that for the majority of the three-hour venture, Spider is forced to tag along with the Na'vi Avatar version of his pops to better locate Jake Sully and his family. It is during this time, however, that we get to see Spider's morals being played with as he gets to know and help his father. By the end, he even saves Quaritich from drowning — but returns to the Na'vi shortly after. With Quaritich slated to return in "Avatar 3," it seems like there is more to explore between these distant relatives.
With the first "Avatar," we saw a human learn he was Na'vi at heart. Spider acts as an opposing viewpoint as a human at heart learning that they are not Na'vi. The internal conflict within the character is compelling enough, but what he could mean for the grander story ahead is even greater.
Will Spider become an Avatar?
The internal conflict of Spider struggling between his identity as a Na'vi and a human should spell an even greater picture of what's to come. By the end of "Avatar: The Way of Water," Jake Sully and his family are allowed to remain with the Metkayina clan, who promise to help fight. And with Quaritich still alive, there is no imagining what grand battles await our motion-captured heroes. However, it is Spider who might hold the key to ending the conflict once and for all.
Despite resenting his father's inexcusable actions, Spider still has some love for him through his act of saving the Colonel at the end. However, he undeniably still cares for the Na'vi people, so it might be Spider who ultimately brings peace between both sides. Whether that be through him showcasing an act of peace or losing his life while trying to do so, Spider could very well make both parties ultimately look inside themselves and realize how meaningless their war is.
And if he does happen to die, Spider can share a similar fate to his father and have his thoughts and personality transferred into a Na'vi body. Not only would he and his dad closer resemble each other, but it could be an interesting way to have the character truly take on the form he has identified with all these years.