Morena Baccarin’s Stargate Role, Explained

This post contains spoilers for “Stargate SG-1” and “Stargate: The Ark of Truth.”

Morena Baccarin might be most widely known for her role as Vanessa Carlysle in “Deadpool” and its sequels (including “Deadpool & Wolverine”), but she’s been a crucial part of several major television shows over the years too. From Inara Serra in “Firefly” to Leslie Thompkins in “Gotham,” Baccarin has embodied intriguing, diverse roles across genres since her 2002 television debut. It is no surprise, then, that Baccarin was also part of the long-running and beloved “Stargate SG-1,” a series that expanded upon the premise of Roland Emmerich’s “Stargate” (the 1994 sci-fi adventure film that was originally meant to kick off an entire trilogy).

As a quick refresher, “Stargate SG-1” revolves around the eponymous team, which uses portal-like devices known as Stargates to travel to distant worlds across the galaxy. Over the course of their adventures, the SG-1 crew comes across different alien species, including the (now-extinct) Ori, who were known for their boundless knowledge and abilities. Baccarin plays Adria, an Ori/human hybrid who is introduced in the 10th and final season of “Stargate SG-1.”

To understand Adria’s role in “Stargate SG-1,” we need to provide some vital context. Val Mal Doran (Claudia Black) was chosen as a host by the Ori, who sought to create a genetically powerful child dubbed the Orici. This child would go on to represent their will across the galaxy, helping spread their religious doctrine in ways that they never could. After Val gave birth to the Orici, she named her Adria, who aged at an accelerated rate and gew into an adult in a few days. While Adria fulfilled aspects of the “chosen one” trope, we must remember that the Ori are religious zealots who deny free will to establish their faith as a destined path. The Prior of the Ori once called Adria a “beacon of light in the darkness, to the warriors of the Ori, and to all who follow the true Path to salvation,” but this proclamation excludes everyone who doesn’t follow the Ori and their religion.

As Adria was generically altered to ascend as the Orici, she grew up to be obsessively devoted to the Ori cause and wished to convert everyone in the Milky Way, no matter the cost. In her mind, unshakable faith justifies violence, as she often ordered entire populations to be wiped out if they didn’t embrace her species’ teachings. This overreaching led her to hatch a plan to destroy the Ancients (another ascended race, more powerful than the Ori) and use Dr. Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) as a pawn. However, Dr. Jackson allowed the SG-1 crew to intervene and attack Adria. Meanwhile, a holy weapon that was capable of destroying ascended beings (known as the Sangraal) was used to neutralize the Ori.

“Stargate SG-1” heavily draws from mythology and legend to weave the Ori arc, and this culminates in the sequel film “Stargate: The Ark of Truth,” in which Adria emerges as the primary antagonist. We will be here all day if we look into the rushed, lore-heavy events in this Robert C. Cooper film, but the story concludes with Adria severely weakened and being engaged in eternal battle by the Ancient Lantean Morgan le Fay (Sarah Strange). This brings an end to the threat posed by Baccarin’s dangerous Messiah figure, whose life’s mission was to covet inordinate power through the belief of those who aligned with the Ori’s teachings.

But what has Baccarin had to say about playing such a complex, unsavory character? In a 2006 interview with The Scifi World, the actor weighed in on Adria’s evil nature and how her megalomaniacal outlook colored her immediate reality:

“I’ve shot one episode [for ‘Stargate SG-1’], leaving to shoot two more next week. I love the character, she is truly evil. The worst kinds of people are the ones with no acceptance and she is one of those. What she believes is the word of God […] I like the nuances of evil. I am trying to be likable as well. It’s an interesting combination.”

“Stargate SG-1” is currently streaming as a part of Prime Video’s MGM+ subscription.