The 21-year-old takes a much larger role in the third franchise film.

Jack Champion on Spider’s bigger Avatar: Fire and Ash role, romancing Kiri, and his Avengers: Endgame cameo

The 21-year-old takes a much larger role in the third franchise film.

By Nick Romano

Nick Romano is a senior editor at ** with 15 years of journalism experience covering entertainment. His work previously appeared in *Vanity Fair*, Vulture, IGN, and more.

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December 20, 2025 9:30 a.m. ET

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Jack Champion. Credit:

- Jack Champion discusses Spider's biggest role yet in *Avatar* with *Fire and Ash*.

- Champion, too, was surprised that the big character twist was revealed in the trailers.

- The actor discusses Spider's relationship with Sigourney Weaver's Kiri and developing that romantic relationship.

Jack Champion was as surprised as anyone that the *Avatar: Fire and Ash* trailer let the cat out of the bag with Spider sooner than expected.

The biological human son of Stephen Lang's Quaritch and the adopted member of the Sully family gains the ability to breathe the air on Pandora, though it's typically toxic to homo sapiens, and he grows a queue, a Na'vi appendage that allows them to connect with their god Eywa and the world around them.

At the very least, it gives Champion more to talk about.

Typically, the only live-action actor on a set full of performance-capture artists, the 21-year-old sits down with ** while in New Zealand on the *Avatar: Fire and Ash* global press tour. He discusses his expanded role in the franchise's third entry (a role director James Cameron previously revealed he tried to cut), his character's relationship and romantic entanglements with Sigourney Weaver's Kiri, and how cast member Zoe Saldaña forgot his previous cameo in the Marvel universe.

Jack Champion as Spider in 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'.

**: You started filming these movies [*Avatar: The Way of Water* and *Avatar: Fire and Ash*] in 2017, is that correct?**

**JACK CHAMPION:** Yeah. Started filming in 2017, and then I guess officially wrapped in 2020. But since then, once a year at least, we'd get called back to do more stuff.

**You've not only physically grown, but you've grown as an actor since you started making these movies. Is it a mind warp to watch the movies and look back at your younger self?**

I've given this metaphor before. Let's say I started playing guitar really seriously in 2017. And from 2017-2020. The whole world is seeing me at 14, 15, playing the guitar. But I'm 21 now. I'm so proud of everything I did, all the hard work I put in, but there is an aspect of, "Wow, the whole world is seeing me act at that age." Sometimes I feel like I'm so much better now, I feel like I've grown so much...I wonder how many people in the world, too, that just watch the movie think that I'm that age right now.

**Now you can legally drink since you started making these movies.**

It's wild. Exactly.

Spider (Jack Champion) gains the power to breathe the air of Pandora in 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'.

**Watching *Avatar: Fire and Ash*, I was surprised by how crucial Spider is to this part of the story. Was there a moment where you were like, "I'm a much bigger part in this than I thought?"**

[James Cameron], as early as I can remember, and [the late franchise producer] Jon Landau would use references like "Spider's," "He's the heart of the story. [Movies] 2 and 3 was to most of us just one big story, but Spider is obviously an important part of 2, but nowhere near as much as 3 because of the whole air-breather of it all and just the amount that he's in it. I knew the whole time of making it that this is a big decision, not just for my character but for the whole movie.

'Avatar' star Stephen Lang on Quaritch and leaving 'the man club some years ago'

Zoe Saldaña on 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' performance: 'It was hard to be in her skin'

**I was surprised that they revealed in the trailers the fact that Spider is able to breathe on Pandora and connect with the creatures like Na'vi.**

I definitely was surprised. Jim is a cinematic genius, and he has so many plans. I'm not gonna pretend to know or understand his plans, but I feel like there's so much shocking story-twisting stuff in *Fire and Ash* that was maybe one he was willing to reveal. I guess, if anything, it made my job easier 'cause I could just talk about it versus [having] to give a really roundabout answer.

**Another big difference between *Fire and Ash* and *The Way of Water* that stood out to me is Spider's relationship with Kiri. It's clear that there's a romantic element to that. I was curious what that was like working with Sigourney Weaver, who's trying to be a teenager, and you're trying to convince yourself that Sigourney is a teenager and make that chemistry happen. I imagine that's a very unique situation and environment, and trying to make that realistic.**

I like the way you worded the question 'cause it is unique. I've been asked, "Is it difficult?" But since Sigourney is Sigourney, she's so good at acting, and we're literally in a performance-capture Volume where it's gray. We know that our imagination is our main weapon. So when she's acting, it is very unique, but it was so easy 'cause she's such a good actress. I just reacted off her. So, I guess, it wasn't that hard, and it wasn't insane. After the first couple days, maybe it was unique, but I really think that pretty much immediately it was just so easy to. She's Kiri. I'm Spider. Action.

Even from my screen test when I first met Sigourney, I think we maybe had one scripted scene, but then for the next like 30 minutes, Sigourney and I just literally riffed. We really just used our imagination, and it was fun. Really, since the very beginning, Sigourney and I have been so locked in imaginatively that I've always been able see Sigourney, then see Kiri.

Sigourney Weaver's Kiri, Jack Champion's Spider in 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'.

20th Century Studios

**I wanted to ask you about *Avengers: Endgame*. [Champion played "Kid on Bike" in a scene when Paul Rudd's Scott Lang emerges from the Quantum Realm.] How often do you think about the fact that you and Zoe Saldaña [who played Gamora] were passing ships on that movie and then reunited on *Avatar*? **

*Endgame* is one of those movies that I feel like everyone was a part of in some way or another, like the whole cast and crew of all of Hollywood. I'm just blessed that I got to dip my toe in that pond and say I was a part of it. I went to the cast and crew screening of *Endgame* in L.A., and Zoe literally called the host of that and gave me a shoutout. She was like, "Hey, shoutout to my cast mate Jack! 'Kid on Bike.'" That was hilarious.

Although, we recently did some little game for the internet, and she forgot that I was in *Endgame*. It was like, "Which franchise has Jack not been a part of?" And she was like, "I don't think he's been part of Marvel." Then she immediately remembered, and she was like, "I'm so sorry!"

**Was that like an audition? How did you get that role?**

It was just a self-tape. I did some little scene, and I auditioned once, I think, and then they called me a month later.

**Are people, generally speaking, surprised when you tell 'em that you're in *Avengers: Endgame*?**

They're always surprised, but then, to my surprise, there's always a look of recognition. "Oh yeah! Kid on Bike." And I'm like, "Wait! You still recognize me?" You see this on the 12-year-old Beaver-[hair]cut "Kid on bike"? The amount of people that do still remember once I tell them is surprising. **

*This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity. *

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