Oona Chaplin drew inspiration from Zoe Saldaña’s Neytiri to shape her villain in Avatar: Fire and Ash, highlighting Varang’s deep trauma and mistrust of the world.

Pandora faces a new menace. Following the introduction of the ocean-dwelling Metkayina in The Way of Water, Avatar: Fire and Ash unveils the Mangkwan, a clan of Na’vi driven by fire and war.

The Ash People suffered devastating losses due to a volcanic eruption that obliterated their homeland, leading them to reject the goddess Eywa, unlike the more harmonious Na’vi community that Jake Sully and Neytiri have embraced.

At the helm of the Mangkwan is Varang, portrayed by Oona Chaplin. Her striking presence is highlighted by her elaborate headdress, dramatic eye makeup, and fluid movements.

“I studied Zoe for the moves because Zoe embodies Pandora for me,” Chaplin shares during a meeting in London. “In rehearsals, I tried to mimic her movements, thinking about how she moves from the heart. I realized Varang, having endured great trauma, has closed her heart, making her worldview starkly different from Neytiri’s.”

Chaplin’s costume also played a significant role in shaping Varang’s physicality. “The tight clothing on her upper body felt almost like a bondage rope around the chest,” she explains. “This shifted her center of gravity dramatically.”

Varang’s dual weapons further influenced her movement. “The buugeng were incredibly helpful for my choreography. They require precision to create fluidity, transforming solid objects into something almost serpentine,” Chaplin notes.

While Chaplin drew inspiration from Saldaña off-screen, their on-screen dynamic tells a different story. A fierce rivalry ignites between Varang and Neytiri, leading to multiple confrontations.

“Zoe is an amazing ally for women,” Chaplin reflects on their relationship. “She’s incredibly supportive and uplifting, which was a relief because you never know what to expect. We quickly established trust, especially since we both speak Spanish as our first language. This familiarity fostered intimacy right from the start.

“Fighting someone is an intimate experience, and it was exciting to explore that. Plus, with our dance backgrounds, the fight scenes felt like a dance in their own right,” Chaplin adds. “The trust built among the entire cast was a defining aspect of this experience for me.”

Catch Varang in action when Avatar: Fire and Ash hits theaters on December 19.