After what seems like an eternity, the first official trailer for Avatar: Fire and Ash has arrived, and it teases an entirely new conflict on Pandora. Jake Sulley (Sam Worthington) and his family will fight the Na’vi tribe known as the Ash People, whose leader Varang (Oona Chaplin) has allied herself with Jake’s mortal enemy Quaritch (Stephen Lang). This means that Avatar: Fire and Ash will be the first Avatar film to feature a conflict that isn’t between humanity and the Na’vi. It will also fulfill James Cameron‘s grand vision for his sci-fi franchise.
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Has A Great Way to Build Upon The World of Pandora
The emergence of the Ash People isn’t the first time that James Cameron has shown the wider world of the planet Pandora. In Avatar: The Way of Water, Jake and his family met the water-dwelling Metkayina Clan, who they learned to live in peace with. In contrast, the Ash People seem extremely violent; Varang has the ability to manipulate fire, and they make their home in the heart of a volcano. It’s a wild departure from what fans have come to expect, but it also gives more insight into the world of Pandora. What made the Ash People like they are? Why are they allying themselves with Quartich? The answers should fuel Avatar: Fire and Ash‘s narrative while leaving viewers hungry for more.
Avatar: Fire and Ash is looking to bring more moral complexity to the Avatar films, according to producer Jon Landau. Landau teased the major conflict at last year’s D23, saying: “There are good humans, and there are bad humans. It’s the same thing on the Na’vi side…Oftentimes, people don’t see themselves as bad. What is the root cause of how they evolve into what we perceive as bad? Maybe there are other factors there that we aren’t aware of.” The Fire and Ash trailer even hints at another conflict between Jake and his wife Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), as Jake implores Neytiri to let go of the hate she holds for humanity.
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James Cameron Is Seeking to Expand The ‘Avatar’ Universe
Avatar: Fire and Ash is only the beginning of James Cameron’s plans for the Avatar films. He recently mentioned that he floated the idea of an Avatar animated anthology in the vein of Predator: Killer of Killers or The Animatrix, and had to split Avatar: Fire and Ash and Avatar: The Way of Water into two films. Cameron has even said that Fire and Ash‘s runtime will exceed that of The Way of Water, and considering the latter film clocks in at over 3 hours, it means that there will be plenty of time to explore the Na’vi conflict.
But there’s also one character that hints at even more Na’vi tribes in Pandora. David Thewlis plays Peylak, who leads the nomadic Wind Traders – a tribe of Na’vi that travel through the air on massive jellyfish-esque creatures. Cameron has said that he’s playing the “long game” with Peylak and the Wind Traders, telling Empire, “They’re going to be throughout the cycle of 3, 4 and 5.” The Ash People and the Wind Traders are proof that there’s more life in Pandora than skeptics might think, and proves that Avatar: Fire and Ash is only scratching the surface.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
- Release Date
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December 19, 2025
- Director
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James Cameron
- Writers
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Amanda Silver, Rick Jaffa, James Cameron
- Producers
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Jon Landau, James Cameron