In Alita: Battle Angel, the big bad guy pulling the strings from the shadows, is Nova, a scientist based in Zalem, the floating city suspended above’Iron City. He is played by Edward Norton, whose surprise appearance brings the film to a close.
But before he appears, three antagonists stand in the heroine’s way. ⚠️ Warning, spoilers!
The Three Antagonists in *Alita: Battle Angel*
Nova never acts directly: it uses proxies to Iron City to achieve his goals. His influence extends throughout the hierarchy that separates Iron City of Zalem, the floating city inaccessible to ordinary mortals.
The cast of villains is particularly strong in this film adaptation of the manga Battle Angel Alita (Gunnm) by Yukito Kishiro:
- Vector, played by Mahershala Ali ;
- Grewishka, the giant cyborg played by Jackie Earle Haley, who is tracking Alita through the streets; ;
- Zapan, the bounty hunter played by Ed Skrein, who previously played a villain in Deadpool.
Vector is the chief broker at the Factory in Alita: Battle Angel. He's not just an organ trafficker. In fact, he's the one who supplies human bodies to Zalem as part of an agreement with Nova. He is also responsible for the death of Hugo (the Yugo from manga), Alita's companion in the movie.
Zapan is a cruel and formidable bounty hunter in Iron City. He becomes Alita's direct enemy before being disfigured by the young cyborg during a fight. Later, Nova takes his brain and transforms it into a creature with far more devastating powers.
Grewishka is a powerful cyborg in the service of Nova. He is the one who poses the most immediate physical threat to Alita on the streets of’Iron City.
Motorball: Nova and Vector's Playground
In Alita: Battle Angel, the motorball is much more than just a sport. It's a show organized by Vector to entertain the people of’Iron City and fuel the power of Nova.
The promise is simple: the champion of the motorball earns the right to ride on Zalem. A promise that Nova used to control and manipulate the inhabitants of’Iron City. Alita enters this competition to find Hugo, who dreams of joining Zalem.
the motorball This thus becomes a central theme of the film, directly linked to the villains' ambitions.
Rosa Salazar plays the role of Alita
Alita is a young woman cyborg and a bounty hunter who operates in Iron City, a violent, post-apocalyptic city. It’s the doctor Dyson Ido who brings her back to life and discovers in her an extraordinary fighting spirit. The role of Ido is played by Christoph Waltz, who is often cast as the villain, plays the good guy for once here.
She is the actress Rosa Salazar who plays the role of Alita. His appearance was reworked using computer graphics to match the style of the manga original, including, in particular, the oversized eyes that left a lasting impression on viewers. This bold visual choice stems from a desire to remain faithful to the work of Yukito Kishiro.
On the production side, the project has been in the works for more than 10 years before it came into being. James Cameron, who had long been involved in directing, finally handed the reins over to Robert Rodriguez while continuing to work as a producer. The film was released in France on February 13, 2019.
For fans of superheroes and cyberpunk, Alita remains a benchmark for the genre, and many are still waiting for a Following the movie *Alita 2*.
Did you go see the movie when it came out in theaters? What did you think of it? Tell us all about it in the comments!
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