David Thewlis plays Peylak in Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Peylak is a Na’vi leader associated with the Wind Traders, a nomadic clan that travels across Pandora using enormous airborne vessels. The character expands the film’s view of Na’vi society beyond the forest-dwelling Omatikaya and ocean-based Metkayina clans. Unlike the returning Sully family characters, Peylak is a new figure introduced in the third Avatar film.
The casting can be confusing because several other prominent characters are played by familiar actors. Brendan Cowell plays Captain Mick Scoresby, Filip Geljo plays Aonung, and Duane Evans Jr. plays Rotxo. None of those characters is portrayed by Thewlis. Thewlis is known internationally for roles including Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter films and Sir Patrick Morgan in Wonder Woman, making Peylak another major fantasy-franchise performance.
Peylak is also expected to matter beyond a single appearance: production materials describe him as the leader of the Wind Traders, and reports indicate that Thewlis’s character was planned to appear across the later Avatar story. The name “Peylak” therefore identifies the character, while “Wind Traders” identifies his people.