Avatar sequel: Star reveals huge Colonel Quaritch news 'He's REALLY p***ed off THIS TIME'

Lang is currently swapping billion-dollar blockbusting director James Cameron for Lord of the Rings legend Peter Jackson. He plays yet another terrifying villain, this time a resurrected cyborg killing machine called Shrike in Mortal Engines. But when Express Online sat down with the US star and his fellow baddie Hugo Waeving, we couldn’t resist a cheeky question or two about the upcoming Avatar sequels.

As Lang points out, they are currently shooting four sequels, “but who’s counting?”

His return is a surprise to some since he was last seen dead and broken inside the wreckage of an articulated body armour. Lang told Express Online: ““You know i’m not gonna say a lot about that right now except he’s really p***ed off.”

There had been some reports that Quaritch might be a reborn character this time around. After all, the terrifying chap was supposed to be dead, so many had assumed he may find new lie through the healing powers of the panel Pandora. This may have given him a much more harmonious and life-affirming view of life, the universe and everything in it.

Fortunately for lovers of epic movie villains, this does not seem to be the case.

Director James Cameron also confirmed that Lang’s villain would wreak havoc throughout all four movies: “There’s not a new villain every time, which is interesting. Same guy. Same motherf***er through all four movies. He is so good and he just gets better. I know Stephen Lang is gonna knock this out of the park.”

It’s a far cry from Mortal Engines’ Shrike.

Although the cyborg is terrifying and wipes out enntire villages with ease, he is motivated primarily by his love for the heroine Hester Shaw, who provides a last link to the remaining shred of his original humanity.

Lang described Shrike as: “Without a soul but he has as much soul as Aretha.”

Whether he manages to work the same level of depth and ultimate redemption for Quaritch remains to be seen (but extremely unlikely).

Avatar deals with an eco-aware ideal set far in the future. Mortal Engines is also set in a post-apocalyptic furture but Lang believes it speaks to society today, especially the rising and newly-empowered young voices.

He adds: “It’s inhabited by young people who exhibit courage and resourcefulness and they are dealing with the world as they know it, just as long people today are dealing with the world they are given. If you’re looking for a message, sure, it’s one of hope and get it done. If you’re not satisfied with the world, change it.”

MORTAL ENGINES IS OUT NOW