Summary
- James Cameron plans to shift focus to Neytiri in Avatar: Fire and Ash, exploring her grief and emotions.
- Neytiri's development is crucial for the future of the Avatar franchise, offering more storytelling opportunities.
- Avatar: Fire and Ash will introduce a new Na'vi clan and darker tone, setting the stage for more serious and emotional storytelling.
So far, the Avatar franchise has been built around the character of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington). The original film focused on him exploring the world of Pandora and becoming a Na'vi. The sequel delved further into that theme, highlighting the family he has created while also showing a new clan. However,m Avatar: Fire and Ash is set to take things in a slightly different direction.
In the franchise's third film installment, James Cameron will introduce another clan of Na'vi and explore a slightly darker and more violent side of this vast world. However, the story itself will shift focus to shine the spotlight on Jake's wife Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), which has the potential to benefit the entire Avatar franchise.
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Avatar: Fire And Ash Will Place More Focus On Neytiri
James Cameron Has Teased That She Will Play A Prominent Role
The previous Avatar movies following the story of Sully have worked well. Given their incredible financial success, it's clear that audiences connect with him, and his character has developed brilliantly. However, as Cameron teased in an interview with Empire, Avatar: Fire and Ash is set to change things up.
"Zoe is incandescent in this film. With Emilia Pérez, she's finally getting recognized as the top-tier actor we've always known she is. But in [Fire And Ash], that goes way beyond what you've seen before."
This is an exciting prospect because it means audiences are set to see a version of Netyiri that is different from anything they've experienced before. In Avatar: The Way of Water, she showed how seriously she should be taken when threatening to cut Spider. It was an interesting scene, and the decision to develop that personality further and give more layers to the character will likely please many fans. She's always been popular, but showing her in a different light will allow her to develop throughout the movie.
Following Neytiri's Journey Will Open Up More Emotional Storytelling
Avatar: Fire And Ash Is Set To Tell The Story Of A Mother's Grief
Placing Neytiri in the central role makes sense in Avatar: Fire and Ash due to how the previous movie ends. The clash between the Metkayina clan and the humans results in the death of Jake and Neytiri's firstborn son, Neteyam, and the aftermath will play out in the upcoming movie. It will allow Cameron to tell the story of a mother's grief, which could be incredibly powerful if it's done right.
Given Saldaña's talent as an actress, there's no doubt that the quality of her performance will be high; therefore, having her as the focal point over Jake makes sense. While he will grieve alongside her, Avatar: Fire and Ash can take Neytiri to a totally different place, showcasing a range of emotions that haven't been accessed before in this franchise. The storyline hasn't allowed for it. After all, while there have been some upsetting moments, there hasn't been a tragedy on this level until now. That means that the third Avatar film could end up being the most emotional to date, allowing it to feel unique compared to the previous installments.
Developing Neytiri Will Benefit The Avatar Franchise
Future Avatar Movies Will Have Two Strong Leads To Rely Upon
While Neytiri has always been an essential part of the Avatar franchise, the decision to make her the lead character in this movie will be a wise move in the long run. There are already several more sequels planned and under development right now, as Cameron has a long-term plan for where he wants this franchise to go. That is why developing Neytiri into an even more critical part of the story is important.
Cameron will need many interesting characters who are developed to the maximum extent possible in order to tell his tale effectively. The Avatar franchise can't rely on Sully for every single film, as it will eventually become tiresome. Therefore, pushing Neytiri into the lead position will allow for more storytelling opportunities moving forward. It would mean Cameron could make the bold call to kill Sully in the future if he wanted, as there would still be an excellent leading star to move the franchise forward.
With new characters set to be added to the franchise alongside a new setting with a much darker tone, it appears that Avatar: Fire and Ash will take the story to a new place. Before, it was about the stunning beauty of Pandora, showing audiences the wonders of that world. Now, the story is now being turned up a notch to become even more serious and emotional, which will ramp up the excitement moving forward for future franchise installments. It's a necessary decision for any franchise that will run as long as Avatar, as the stakes need to increase to reach the point where a final showdown is required. When it reaches that stage, the emotions should be at their highest, and there should have been some loss along the way. That's starting to take shape now, and Neytiri's grief in Avatar: Fire and Ash will only aid in the development.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- December 19, 2025
- Runtime
- 197 Minutes
- Director
- James Cameron
- Writers
- Amanda Silver, Rick Jaffa, James Cameron, Josh Friedman, Shane Salerno
