In the 2009 film Avatar, Jake Sully is a paraplegic former Marine who is recruited by the RDA to replace his deceased identical twin brother in the Avatar Program. The film's opening narration reveals that Jake was in a VA hospital, where he began having dreams of flying and being free. In the film, Jake is shown to have a strong desire for freedom and adventure, which he finds in his journey to Pandora, where he is genetically matched with a Na'vi-human hybrid called an avatar, allowing him to walk and run for the first time in years.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the hospital | VA hospital |
| Reason for hospitalisation | Jake Sully had a spinal cord injury and was paralysed |
| Year of release of the movie | 2009 |
| Main character | Jake Sully |
| Actor | Sam Worthington |
| Other cast members | Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, Sigourney Weaver |
| Director | James Cameron |
| Plot | Humans colonizing Pandora, a habitable moon of a gas giant in the Alpha Centauri star system, to mine unobtanium, a valuable mineral |
| Jake Sully's profession | Former Marine |
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What You'll Learn

Jake Sully is a paraplegic former Marine
In the 2009 epic science fiction film Avatar, Jake Sully is a paraplegic former Marine. He is recruited by the RDA to replace his deceased identical twin brother, who had signed up to be an operator. The Avatar Program, headed by Dr. Grace Augustine, involves controlling Na'vi-human hybrids called "avatars" to explore Pandora. Jake's character is driven by a yearning for freedom and adventure, which was unfulfilled in his city life on Earth, where he was forced to rely on a wheelchair.
Upon entering his avatar body, Jake is thrilled to be able to move his legs for the first time in years. He sprints through the Pandora forest, celebrating his newfound freedom from disability. This is a central theme in the narrative logic of Jake's character, as he desires to be able-bodied. Colonel Miles Quaritch, the head of the RDA's security force, promises Jake that he will regain the use of his legs if he provides information about the Na'vi and their gathering place, the Hometree.
Jake's time in the hospital is referenced in the opening narration of the film, where he describes having "a big hole blown through the middle of my life" and dreaming of flying and being free. Jake's disability is erased through his permanent transfer into his avatar body, delivering him from his original role as a white colonizer.
In the Avatar film series, Jake Sully is portrayed by Sam Worthington. The character is created using performance capture, and its visual aspect is entirely computer-generated. Worthington won a Saturn Award for his portrayal of Jake in the first film.
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He is recruited by the RDA to replace his deceased twin
Jake Sully, the protagonist of the movie Avatar, is a former Marine who becomes paralyzed from the waist down. He is recruited by the Resource Development Administration (RDA) for their Avatar Program on Pandora, offering him the chance to walk again. The Avatar Program involves genetically engineered bodies that are hybrids of human and Na'vi DNA, which can be controlled by a mentally bonded human operator.
It is revealed that Jake has an identical twin brother, Tommy, who was also a Marine and had been working for the RDA on Pandora. However, Tommy was killed in a robbery, leaving his avatar body intact. This presents a unique opportunity for Jake as only genetically matched humans can operate these avatars, and his twin's death means there is now an available avatar body that he can use.
The RDA sees Jake as the perfect replacement for his brother, and they offer him the chance to take part in the Avatar Program. They promise him full mobility in his avatar form, and the opportunity to explore the lush and vibrant world of Pandora, which is a stark contrast to his confined life on Earth. The prospect of adventure and the chance to walk again are powerful motivators for Jake, who readily agrees to join the program.
Upon arriving on Pandora, Jake begins the process of mentally bonding with his brother's avatar body. This involves a deep mental connection and synchronization, where Jake essentially becomes his brother, feeling what his brother felt and experiencing Pandora through his senses. This unique process is a pivotal moment in the movie, as Jake's connection to his avatar and Pandora deepens, setting the stage for his journey of self-discovery and eventual allegiance to the Na'vi.
As Jake spends more time with the Na'vi, he learns about their ways and forms deep connections, eventually falling in love with Neytiri, a Na'vi woman. His experiences lead him to question the RDA's motives and methods, and he ultimately finds himself at odds with his own people, defending the Na'vi and Pandora against the corporate interests that threaten their existence.
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Jake is hospitalised after a spinal cord injury
In the Avatar movie, Jake Sully is a paraplegic former Marine who uses a wheelchair due to a spinal cord injury. While the movie does not specify the hospital Jake was in, it is revealed that he was hospitalized in a VA hospital after suffering a spinal injury during a deployment in Venezuela. There, he had recurring dreams of flying over a jungle, feeling a sense of freedom.
Jake's story in the movie begins as a 22-year-old paraplegic Marine veteran who takes over his deceased twin brother's RDA contract to become an avatar driver on Pandora. He is recruited by the RDA to replace his brother, who had signed up to be an operator. Despite his disability, Jake is determined to push himself to his limits and thrives on adventure.
When Jake first enters his avatar, he realizes he has the use of his legs for the first time in years. Ignoring the lab team's instructions to sit down, he escapes the ambient room and runs across the compound, enjoying the feeling of freedom from his paralysis. Through his avatar, Jake is able to walk, run, and even play basketball.
The movie introduces the concept of neuroregeneration, a process that repairs and restores nerve tissues and cells, as a potential treatment for Jake's spinal cord injury. While the process is incredibly expensive and complex, it represents a promising advancement in curing paralysis and repairing brain damage.
The portrayal of Jake's spinal cord injury and his experience of regaining mobility through his avatar has received mixed reactions from wheelchair users and paraplegics. Some appreciate seeing a disabled character in a non-disabled role, while others point out inaccuracies in the portrayal of spinal cord injuries and their implications.
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He has dreams of flying while in hospital
Jake Sully, the protagonist of the 2009 epic science fiction film Avatar, is a paraplegic former Marine. He was recruited by the RDA to replace his deceased identical twin brother, who had signed up to be an operator.
While in the VA hospital, Jake had dreams of flying and being free. He yearned for freedom and to break free from his wheelchair. This desire for freedom and mobility is a central theme in the film, as Jake is offered the chance to regain the use of his legs by the military leader, Colonel Quaritch, in exchange for information about the Na'vi and their homeland, which the RDA wants to exploit for its mineral wealth.
The opening narration of the film reflects on Jake's time in the hospital and his dreams:
> "When I was lying there in the VA hospital, with a big hole blown through the middle of my life, I started having these dreams of flying. I was free. Sooner or later, though, you always have to wake up."
In the film, Jake gets his wish to walk again when he is linked with his avatar for the first time. He immediately gets up and starts trying to walk, despite the dismay of the lab team. He runs through the Avatar Compound, across the basketball court, past the obstacle course, and finally stops in the garden, where he digs his toes into the soil and breathes in the fresh air, relishing the feeling of his legs and feet.
Jake's time in the hospital and his dreams of flying set the stage for his journey in the film, where he not only regains the ability to walk but also becomes a leader in the battle against the RDA, ultimately finding acceptance and love within the Na'vi community.
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Jake is offered his brother's contract to travel to Pandora
In the Avatar film series, Jake Sully is a former Marine who becomes part of the Avatar Program after his twin brother, Tom, is killed. Tom was one of the few selected scientists chosen to participate in the program and was expected to be an operator or driver of an avatar—a genetically engineered Na'vi body operated from the brain of a remotely located human.
Tom's embryo had been growing in vitro at the lab for several months, and only a similar genetic match would work with his avatar. Being genetically identical to his brother, Jake is offered his brother's contract and is put in cryosleep for the trip to Pandora. He is briefed on the dangers of Pandora, including the threat of its indigenous population of humanoids, the Na'vi.
Upon landing, Jake and the other passengers are informed about the use of exopacks, which are required for survival outside of internally pressurized RDA facilities. Jake meets Colonel Miles Quaritch, who promises to restore the use of his legs if he provides information about the Na'vi and their gathering place, Hometree. Jake is tasked to gather intelligence that would help Colonel Quaritch force the Na'vi to leave Hometree, as it sits on top of a valuable deposit of unobtanium.
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Frequently asked questions
Jake was in a VA hospital.
Jake was paraplegic and used a wheelchair.
No, Jake did not enjoy his time in the hospital. He felt trapped and yearned to be free.
Jake was a Marine.








































