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Besides its captivating storyline and top-notch special effects, the blockbuster “Avatar” also succeeds in crafting a ruthless antagonist, propelling actor Stephen Lang into stardom.
13 years ago, the epic Avatar premiered and quickly captivated global audiences. With a budget of approximately $237 million, the project was meticulously invested in from its storyline to its visuals. While the plot is simple yet meaningful, the state-of-the-art visual effects are handled with precision, contributing to the creation of a vast, imaginative world. Particularly, many audiences still remember the primary antagonist role: Colonel Miles Quaritch portrayed by Stephen Lang.
Set in the year 2154, Avatar – directed and written by James Cameron – tells the story of humanity's invasion of a fictional planet called Pandora. Here, disabled Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is tasked with infiltrating the indigenous Na’vi people. Through a remotely controlled avatar, he lives in the form of a Na’vi and attempts to persuade them to leave their homeland. Thus, humanity can easily colonize and exploit the planet's resources.
In the film, Stephen Lang plays Miles Quaritch, a highly experienced Marine Colonel leading his troops on a mission to Pandora. The character is depicted as a cold-blooded individual, willing to eliminate anyone in his path to achieve his goals. Quaritch's cruelty is evident in both his words and actions. Whenever he appears, he shows contempt for the Na’vi indigenous people, viewing them as nothing more than pests.
Moreover, Quaritch doesn't hesitate to kill his own comrade Jake Sully, despite knowing that he is disabled and unable to resist.
Through Stephen Lang's embodiment, Miles Quaritch emerges as a seasoned, rugged military man. His battlefield experience is evident in every scar on his face. Despite his age, he maintains a robust, formidable physique. Particularly, Stephen Lang truly shines in the final segment when Miles Quaritch confronts the protagonist Jake Sully. The character's combativeness and ruthlessness are depicted in the thrilling action sequence, disregarding the fact that Lang has never served in the military even once.
Born in 1952 in New York, Stephen Lang began acting in the 1970s with small roles on Broadway. His career is more closely associated with theater than film, with notable productions such as Death of a Salesman (1984), A Few Good Men (1989), Hamlet (1992)… Lang received a Tony Award nomination for his role in The Speed of Darkness in 1992.
During the period from 1985 to 2009, the star also participated in numerous film projects but went unnoticed due to playing supporting roles. Before Avatar, he almost had the opportunity to work with James Cameron when he was young. According to Variety, Lang auditioned for a role in the project Aliens (1986) but failed. Fortunately, the director didn't choose him but remembered him for over 20 years. Initially, James Cameron intended to consider the antagonist role of Miles Quaritch for Michael Biehn – a colleague he had previously worked with in Aliens (1986), The Terminator (1984), and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). However, fate intervened, leading the director to give the role to Lang, someone he had never collaborated with before.
The success of Avatar brought Stephen Lang closer to audiences. After portraying Miles Quaritch, he continued to play antagonistic roles in Conan the Barbarian (2011). However, Lang's iconic role must be the villain in the horror film Don’t Breathe (2016). This time, the star portrays Norman Nordstrom, a war veteran who is blind yet still robust and ruthless. Once, a group of young burglars break into the old man's house to steal. Upon discovering this, Nordstrom is determined to eliminate the uninvited guests.
With a budget of less than $10 million, Don’t Breathe was a huge success, grossing over $157 million at the box office. Stephen Lang's performance was highly praised by critics, contributing to the constant tension throughout the film. His convincing portrayal led to the production of a sequel, Don’t Breathe 2 (2021), where the producers decided to push Lang's character into the protagonist line. As a result, the actor had more opportunities to showcase his prowess and acting skills.
It can be said that Stephen Lang's appearance was one of the key factors contributing to the success of Avatar. Even after 13 years, the audience's impression of his character remains profound. The portrait of the villain portrayed by Stephen Lang is timeless yet vivid, akin to the 3D scenes James Cameron crafted with CGI. Otherwise, there would be no reason for the director to invite him back for the subsequent sequel projects, the latest being Avatar: The Way of Water, set to be released later this year.
Anyone who has seen Avatar surely knows that Miles Quaritch's fate seemed sealed at the end. However, James Cameron decided to 'resurrect' the character somehow. Instead of introducing a new villain, the director chooses to keep the formidable antagonist alive on the planet Pandora for at least 4 more installments. Thus, audiences will have the opportunity to witness Stephen Lang's transformative performance, observing how the ruthless Colonel evolves in the future.
