Director James Cameron dropped a bombshell today by revealing that Avatar star Stephen Lang, whose Colonel Miles Quatrich was killed off in the original blockbuster, is returning for the sequels Avatar 2, Avatar 3 and Avatar 4. Here's what the filmmaker had to say in a brief statement.

"Stephen was so memorable in the first film, we're privileged to have him back. I'm not going to say exactly HOW we're bringing him back, but it's a science fiction story, after all. His character will evolve into really unexpected places across the arc of our new three-film saga. I really look forward to working with such a gifted actor, who's also become a good friend."

We reported last week that production on all three sequels will begin simultaneously in October 2014. Back in August, we reported that James Cameron hired Josh Friedman to write Avatar 2, with Rise of the Planet of the Apes writing team of Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver and Shane Salerno (Savages) writing Avatar 3 and Avatar 4.

Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana are expected to reprise their roles from the original Avatar, although no other cast members have been confirmed.