Ever since we first heard, some 17 billion years ago, that Sigourney Weaver would be returning for James Cameron’s Avatar sequels, we’ve all been confused (even more so by the idea of multiple Avatar sequels). But now we actually know how Weaver is coming back, we’re… kind of even more confused. Empire Magazine revealed that Weaver—who played Dr. Grace Augustine, the developer of the Avatar Human-Na’vi switcheroo program in the original film, who died at its climax—will play an entirely new character in Avatar: The Way of Water. And no, she’s not human: she’s the teenage daughter of Avatar protagonists Jake and Neytiri. Weaver will play Kiri, the couple’s adopted daughter, and just one of Jake and Neytiri’s many families it looks like we’re going to meet in The Way of Water. “I think we all pretty much remember what it felt like to be a teenager,” Weaver told Empire about what it was like to play a digitized blue teenager. “Of course I do. I was 5′ 10″ or 5′ 11″ when I was 11. I strongly felt that Kiri would be uncomfortable a lot of times. She is searching for who she is. I was thrilled to be given this challenge by Jim.” Now, look, adult actors play kids all the time, especially in the voice acting world, and it seems from at least one more Empire release with Kiri that Weaver will be appearing again as Dr. Augustine, possibly via archival footage. But considering the fancy mocap rigs we know bring the Na’vi to life for the most part, there’s going to be something weird about watching Weaver’s physical performance transfer to a teenager. A diminutive blue alien teenager, sure, but a teenager nonetheless. Avatar: The Way of Water is set to hit theaters in December 2022. Want more io9 news? See when to expect the latest Marvel and Star Wars releases, what’s next for the DC Universe in movies and TV, and everything you need to know about House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
