In the upcoming Avatar: Fire and Ash, audiences will be introduced to the Mangkwan clan, also known as the Ash People, and their leader, Varang, who is a formidable force in her own right. Behind the scenes, actor Oona Chaplin, who portrays Varang, used music and décor to get her into the right mindset for the new character.
Unlike the Omatikaya and Metkayina clans, the Mangkwan have faced significant hardships, leading them to question Pandora’s spiritual entity, Eywa. Chaplin says the clan has lost its faith. “They have a bunch of unresolved trauma,” Chaplin explains. “They got hit by a natural disaster.”
Varang’s leadership takes the Mangkwan down a different path, seeking power elsewhere to lift her people from despair. “It’s easy to fall into the villain mentality, but actually she’s the hero of her people. Because she’s saved them out of misery and starvation and begging,” Chaplin adds.
The role required Chaplin to delve into dark places, immersing herself in the trauma Varang endured. “I covered my whole trailer with very vivid and disturbing images of the kind of trauma that Varang would have gone through,” she shares. To channel Varang’s vengeful energy, Chaplin also created an intense playlist, including throat-singing and songs from the band Slipknot. “I’d never really gone into death metal, and probably Slipknot is laughable to some people: ‘Oh, that’s so mild’,” she admits. “But it was pretty hardcore for me.”
Despite the intensity, Chaplin managed to keep Varang’s influence in check. “She did seep into my psyche a little more than I had anticipated,” she laughs. “It was okay. I didn’t rip anybody’s head off.”
Watch Avatar: Fire and Ash only in theaters December 19, 2025.
And revisit the first two films in the series, Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water, available to stream now on Disney+.
This information originally appeared in Empire magazine.