Fans Have Mixed Feelings About Spider In Avatar: The Way Of Water
There was a lot riding on "Avatar: The Way of Water." The first film came out 13 years prior, and the sequel had lofty expectations to live up to, not the least of which was the fact "Avatar" remains the highest-grossing movie of all time, and "The Way of Water" had to gross $2 billion just to break even. Fortunately, the sequel seems to be on track to hit that mark and then some (via Deadline).
Since it's come out, there's been a lot of talk about the sequel, especially as it relates to one of the newer characters, Spider (Jack Champion). Spider's introduced early in the film; he was a baby when the humans initially evacuated Pandora, and as a result, he couldn't go back to Earth with the others. He's stayed on the alien planet ever since, developing a bond with Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri's (Zoe Saldana) children. Jake even describes Spider as a stray cat they just can't get rid of.
The family's feelings toward Spider fluctuate throughout the film; as it turns out, that's a pretty good metaphor for how audiences feel about him. People have gone back and forth on social media debating the merits of the character, and no one can seem to agree on anything.
Spider has been compared unfavorably to Jar Jar Binks
Spider has an interesting arc through "Avatar: The Way of Water." While he's pretty much part of the Sully family initially, Neytiri never fully embraces him. The wedge is driven in further when Spider is kidnapped by Quaritch's (Stephen Lang) forces and tasked with helping them track down Jake, with Quaritch learning along the way that Spider is his son. By the end of the movie, Spider is reunited with the Sullys, but not before saving Quaritch from drowning, which is bound to have consequences in future installments.
It's understandable some people would be angry at Spider's actions, but plenty have taken the extra step to outright express their disdain for the character. On Twitter, @RyleeGoodwin went so far as to say, "I'd like to apologize to jar jar binks, spider from the new avatar takes the crown as worst character in cinema history." @matthewivan77 even refuses to see any more "Avatar" movies because of Spider, stating, "i literally will not be seeing any new avatars because of that Spider character. painful to watch."
Of course, Spider has his fans as well. @markffigueroa wrote, "i'm soo excited to see the exploration and development of spider and neytiri's relationship in avatar 3, 4, & 5. i felt so bad for him cuz he just wants to be accepted and apart of the family so bad." @mallovesfilms posted a funny image to voice their support of Spider, to which @orfanthemalaka responded, "very interested to see where they go with his character. And he blends in great with the CGI world." With the financial success of "Avatar: The Way of Water," there's a very good chance fans will see more Spider in future installments, whether they like it or not.