‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ is slated to hit theaters on December 19, and the highly anticipated trailer for James Cameron’s next installment in the alien world premiered for the press at Disney’s Los Angeles and New York offices on Monday, as reported by the New York Post. The trailer introduces a formidable new villain—Varang.
Who Is Varang in ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’?
Meet Varang in Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Be among the first to watch the trailer in IMAX this weekend with The Fantastic Four: First Steps. pic.twitter.com/Sr8kHOZN5k— IMAX (@IMAX) July 22, 2025
Voiced by Oona Chaplin of Game of Thrones fame, Varang is depicted wearing a striking spiky red-and-black headdress. Reports suggest that she is the leader of the Mangkwan Clan, also known as the Ash People, a race of Na’vi residing high in the mountains near volcanoes.
The trailer showcases Varang traversing a hot, gray landscape illuminated by magma and appears to wield a flamethrower. In a dramatic moment, she seems to hold Jake and Neytiri’s daughter Kiri (played by Sigourney Weaver) hostage, hissing, “Your goddess has no dominion here.” This statement hints at her clan’s possible differing beliefs regarding spirituality and the connection Kiri has to Eywa, the spiritual being of the Na’vi.
A New Direction for the Avatar Franchise
The introduction of Varang marks a significant shift for the Avatar franchise, which has thus far largely depicted the conflict between humans and aliens. Now, the narrative focuses on the tensions among the Na’vi themselves.
Director Cameron elaborated in an interview with Empire: “Varang is the leader of a people who have gone through an incredible hardship. She’s hardened by that. She will do anything for them, even things that we would consider evil.” He further emphasized the film’s goal of moving beyond simplistic characterizations: “We’re trying to evolve beyond the ‘all humans are bad, all Na’vi are good’ paradigm.”
