Meet Natla
Every legend needs a rival worthy of it. In Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, that rival is Jacqueline Natla, brought to life by Adrienne Wilkinson. A brilliant, magnetic, and dangerous presence, Natla is the force that stands between Lara Croft and the secrets of the ancient world.
A Presence You Won't Forget
For Adrienne Wilkinson, describing Natla is no small task. “Natla is everything,” she says. “She is your biggest dreams. She is your worst nightmare. She is excitement. She is intimidation. She might be a little terrifying, but you will love every second around her.”
It is a character she fell for instantly. “When I first read the script, I could not get enough of this character,” Wilkinson says. “I was eating this with a spoon. Please let me play this amazing creature.”
What drew Wilkinson in was the chance to play someone who operates with total conviction. “How often in life do we ever feel like we truly, honestly know everything, and how amazing must that feel,” she says. “Every day that I got to play Natla was just delicious. There’s really no other word for it.”
Warmth, Intelligence, and Certainty
For the team at Crystal Dynamics, casting Natla meant finding an actor who could make an iconic character feel human. John Stafford, Narrative Director, describes what Adrienne Wilkinson brought to the role.
“Adrienne brings three qualities that ground this modern version of Natla: warmth, intelligence, and absolute certainty,” Stafford says. “Many actors play villains cold. We liked that Adrienne brought some warmth to a notoriously icy character. She conveys a sharp wit that matches Lara, and a certainty of belief that feels genuine and not too exaggerated or over-the-top.”
That certainty comes from who Natla believes she is. “Natla sees herself as someone willing to make the hard choices everyone else avoids,” Stafford says. She moves through the world with a conviction that never wavers, sure that she is right and unbothered by anyone who disagrees.
A Different Kind of Power
Wilkinson approached Natla as a woman carrying an extraordinary past. “Preparation for Natla was different than any other character I’ve had before,” she says. “This is a character who is so full of history and full of life and full of passion and ferocity. She had a plan and knew how to execute it. It’s a different type of power than I’ve ever played.”
In the present day, that power wears a modern face. As the head of Natla Technologies, she carries herself like the CEO of a major tech corporation, always ready to walk into a boardroom and command it. Jeff Adams, Experience Director at Crystal Dynamics, describes her as “a woman of means who has earned her place at the top of the corporate ladder,” one who prefers to let others do the labor that contributes to her success.
That depth is what sets this version apart, and it makes Natla a genuine match for Lara. “In many ways, Natla is not unlike Lara herself,” Stafford says. “Brilliant, single-minded, willing to ignore authority, and usually the smartest person in the room.”
Lara and Natla
The heart of Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is the collision between two brilliant women who could not be more opposed. Alix Wilton Regan, who plays Lara Croft, sees it clearly. “These are two powerful women, powerful in different yet similar ways,” she says. “Totally different motivations, and yet it still manifests the same. It’s just fun to watch.”
Over the course of the game, Natla makes her case. “She does try to make a persuasive argument for Lara to join her,” Wilton Regan says. For Natla, being refused is a genuine shock. “It’s very rare that someone resists me,” Wilkinson says. “So that shocks me, and also intrigues me. What is happening here?”
It is that refusal that defines their rivalry. “She underestimates Lara, all day long,” Wilton Regan says. Wilkinson agrees that it is Natla’s blind spot. “Underestimating you is what gets her into trouble.”
For all their opposition, the two actors found the dynamic electric. “When you are making something, you are never more connected,” Wilkinson says. “I want you to be so fabulous I can barely stand it.”
The result is a rivalry worthy of Lara Croft, and a character fans will not forget. As Wilkinson puts it, you only ever want to be on Natla’s good side.
Pre-order Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis
Lara Croft’s greatest adventure begins February 12, 2027. Pre-orders are live now. Secure your edition before launch, and join us across the months ahead for new mini-documentaries, deep dives, and exclusive looks at the world of Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis.
