In Avatar: The Way of Water, audiences were captivated by the tale of Payakan, the formidable marine-based tulkun, and his bond with Jake Sully’s son, Lo’ak. The story also introduced a new antagonist: Brendan Cowell’s Captain Mick Scoresby, a ruthless mariner profiting from hunting tulkun. After losing an arm to Payakan in their last encounter, Scoresby is back and seeking revenge in Avatar: Fire and Ash.
“What Jim [Cameron, director] and I talked about for Scoresby in this film is how he arrived as this wind-in-the-hair cowboy-of-the-seas in the last one, out to make some bank, have some laughs. He’s not in it for the wind, the hair, the laughs, or the money this time,” Cowell says.
This time, Scoresby’s mission is about retribution. “He lost his last fight, he knows there’s this generational, ancestral hatred towards him, and so this time it’s personal,” says Cowell. “It’s destructive. And in terms of what he wants to do, it’s probably a little more violent, too.”
Despite his previous defeat, Scoresby is ready to face Payakan again. “We’ve all been there, right? An arm down, a few pissed-off tulkun up!” Cowell laughs. “But don’t underestimate that Scoresby may use his loss and turn it into a superpower.”
Prepare for an epic showdown when you 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.