Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Weaver, 76, explained that she did not physically kiss Jack Champion, who was 14 or 15 at the time of filming and plays Spider in the film. Instead, director James Cameron used body doubles to film the scene.
«Obviously, I wasn’t going to kiss Jack in real life,» Weaver said, adding that the production was «very delicate» about the issue.
Weaver reprises her role as Kiri, the adopted daughter of Jake Sully and Neytiri, portrayed by Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana. She said the age gap between herself and Champion was a legitimate concern but felt the final scene worked on screen.
«When I saw it, I believed it,» she said. «It’s so genuine between the two of them.»
The actress also praised Champion’s performance, saying he brought depth to Spider’s role as a human caught between worlds. Champion, now 21, echoed that sentiment in a separate interview, describing a strong creative connection with Weaver throughout filming.
Released on 19 December, Avatar: Fire and Ash has drawn mixed reviews, with critics praising its visuals while questioning the depth of its character development.
