It’s hard to believe that it’s been two years since Avatar: The Way of Water hit theaters. And that was after the 14-year gap following the original film. Now, with multiple Avatar sequels lined up, the franchise is embarking on a new chapter, Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third installment of the long-running franchise.
After appearing before showings of The Fantastic Four: First Steps all weekend, Walt Disney Studios has finally released the first trailer for Avatar: Fire and Ash online. Although it doesn’t reveal much of the plot, it looks like Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and family are in a dispute between the Fire Clan led by Varang (Oona Chaplin). Then there’s Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), who, along with his reanimated human soldiers known as Avatar “recombinants,” has allied themselves with the Na’vi colony.
Zoe Saldaña is also set to return as Neytiri, who seems to harbor a grudge against the “Ash people.” It’s likely that her feelings towards that community will add a layer of emotional depth to the film.
It also appears that Jake was being apprehended by the humans, who continue to colonize Pandora with reckless abandon. Though the trailer doesn’t clarify why Jake surrendered himself, this moment hints at deeper tensions and possibly a strategic move in the escalating conflict.
Sigourney Weaver, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Giovanni Ribisi, Dileep Rao, Matt Gerald, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Jemaine Clement, Britain Dalton, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jack Champion, Bailey Bass, Filip Geljo, and Duane Evans, Jr. reprise their roles from previous films.
Despite the franchise’s blockbuster success and technical achievements, Avatar has not been free of criticism. The series has long drawn scrutiny for its use of the “white savior” trope and for borrowing elements from Indigenous cultures without meaningful representation. Still, Avatar remains a cinematic force, combining environmental allegory, cutting-edge visuals, and epic scale to draw global audiences time and time again.
From the bioluminescent forests of Pandora to the breathtaking underwater sequences in The Way of Water, each Avatar film has pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in filmmaking. Now, Fire and Ash introduces a new element and setting that will likely heat things up, both visually and thematically, for the franchise.
Avatar: Fire and Ash will be available in IMAX 3D, Dolby Cinema 3D, RealD 3D, Cinemark XD, 4DX, ScreenX, and premium screens when it opens in theaters on December 19, 2025.