James Cameron teases Avatar: Fire and Ash: 'Not what you expect, but it’s definitely what you want'

Nearly seven years since production commenced on both Avatar: The Way of Water and the franchise's third installment, we finally have a first look at a title and accompanying graphic.

James Cameron, Sam Worthington, and Zoe Saldaña joined forces at Disney's D23 fan event in Anaheim, Calif., on Friday to present Avatar: Fire and Ash.

"The characters are so alive, and it feels so real. It's also got very high emotional stakes — more than ever before," Cameron told the audience. "We’re going into really challenging territory for all the characters you know and love."

He added, "The new film is not what you expect, but it’s definitely what you want."

Remember when Cameron said he was prepared to wrap the Avatar franchise up after the third installment? Of course, that depended on his pre-The Way of Water release question: "How many people give a s--- now?"

A whole lot of people did, earning the sequel over a billion at the box office and cementing it as Cameron's third entry on the list of the 10 most profitable films in the history of the medium. At the time of this writing, he's discussed making as many as seven films exploring the world of Pandora.

We know quite a bit about Avatar: Fire and Ash in addition to what was revealed today at D23. We know that Cameron shot Avatar: Fire and Ash and The Way of Water at the same time to avoid what he called "the Stranger Things effect," referring to the jarring jump-up in ages between seasons of the show's young cast.

We also knew last winter that Avatar: Fire and Ash wouldn't hit its projected Christmastime 2024 release date. Instead, it was pushed to Christmastime 2025 due to a grueling, two-year-long post-production process. Before his death this July, producer Jon Landau indicated that Avatar: Fire and Ash would delve into a fiery new tribe of Na'vi known as the "Ash People." Their mercurial leader, Varang, will be played by new cast addition, Oona Chaplin.

This is likely who Cameron was referring to at D23 when he spoke of new characters audiences are going to “love to hate.”

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In addition to the scant plot ideas Cameron has shared about Avatars 4-7 (the fifth film will be "partially" set on Earth), we know who's returning and who's new to Avatar: Fire and Ash. Joining Chaplin on the newcomer roster is veteran British actor David Thewlis, who will play Peylak.

Returning are a murderer's row of Avatar and its sequel's ensemble: Worthington, Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, CCH Pounder, Kate Winslet, Stephen Lang, Joel David Moore, Jack Champion, Giovanni Ribisi, Dileep Rao, Matt Gerald, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Jemaine Clement, Filip Geljo, Britain Dalton, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, and Bailey Bass.

Champion told The Hollywood Reporter that the Avatar: Fire and Ash script takes a "hard left turn" away from previous material. "You think you know where it’s going, but then a wrecking ball comes," he said, adding, "You also see more regions of Pandora, and you get introduced to more cultures."

If The Way of Water massively widened the scope of the original Avatar, Avatar: Fire and Ash is set to repeat the pattern. Start preparing now so you're ready when Avatar: Fire and Ash hits theaters on Dec. 19, 2025.