Moana 2: What happened to Matangi? The bat lady's fate, explored

Moana 2 is a direct sequel to Disney's 2016 film Moana. The film is the directorial effort of Jason Hand, David Derrick Jr., and Dana Ledoux Miller. And written by Miller, Jared Bush, and Bek Smith. The film was released on November 27, 2024 by Walt Disney Studios.

The storyline revolves around the titular girl who meets with Maui again to find an island called Motufetu that has been considered lost. Here is the synopsis:

After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she's ever faced.

There is an interesting character in the film, Matangi, known as the Bat Lady. Let's explore her fate in the overall storyline.

Who is Matangi in Moana 2

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Matangi (voiced by Awhimai Fraser) is a demigod and an enforcer of Nalo in Moana 2. She can control bats, which gives her the moniker of Bat Lady. The character helps Moana find Motufetu's location. However, the character is not seen in the later half of the storyline as people expected her to join the set free.

Leutogi, an antagonist in the mythology of Polynesians, inspired the character of the Baat Lady. Unlike the source material, Matangi is a friendly figure in Moana 2 and a wayfinder. We realize that the god storm had manipulated and tricked her into caging her inside a clan. She had no choice but to guard the road that led to Motufetu.

Moana will have to shatter the curse put on Matangi to set her free. However, she does not return until the very end of the film. Moana also doesn't get her help in the final fight.

Matangi's fate in Moana 2

Moana 2 has a post-credit scene that features Matangi being captured by Nalo. The makers had earlier stated that it was changed right before the release. This makes it possible that the character might have had a different arc in the original version.

In the scene, we see Matangi talking to Nalo, who has imprisoned her. She demands that he set her free as she had done her part. But the storm god doesn't free her as he might be aware that she helped Moana reach the lost island. Matangi's misery doesn't end there, as the scene also hints that she will be coerced to help two gods, including Tamatoa, who are after Moana.

This has been reportedly set up by the makers for a third installment in the franchise. So, we can expect Matangi to have a bigger role in future films. We can expect that her backstory will be properly explored in Moana 3.

Moana 2 is produced by Christina Chen and Yvett Merino. Upon its release, the film minted over a billion dollars at the box-office and also received a Best Animated Feature film nomination at the Golden Globes.

In an interview with Deadline, Dana Miller spoke about how Moana has become a demi god after the last act of the film. She said,

"For Moana, yes, she’s a demigod. What that entails to the full extent? We’ve yet to discover, but she’s been changed by this experience forever. With Maui, this is some of the funnest stuff to write and animate all of these things. We name all of our sequences, and that one was called, “What makes a demigod.”