The wait for Avatar 3—now officially titled Avatar: Fire & Ash—is nearly over, and anticipation is building fast. After the first two films shattered box office records, fans are eager to return to Pandora for the next chapter in James Cameron’s epic sci-fi saga. While Disney announced back in June 2023 that the film would be delayed until 2025, the gap still pales in comparison to the 13-year stretch between the original Avatar (2009) and its sequel Avatar: The Way Of Water (2022).
In Fire & Ash, Sam Worthington returns as Jake Sully, the former Marine-turned-Na’vi warrior, as the story expands to introduce the Ash People—an aggressive, fire-wielding Na’vi clan that promises to shake up the balance on Pandora. From the cast and trailer to production updates and plot details, here’s everything we know so far about Avatar 3.
Avatar 3 is set to arrive in theaters on December 19, 2025. The release date has changed nine times. The movie was supposed to come out December 20, 2024, before it was delayed, again, on June 13, amidst the ongoing writers strike. The rumored title for the third film is Avatar: The Seed Bearer.
Star Zoe Saldana had a great reaction to the release delays of Avatar 3, Avatar 4, and Avatar 5. “Great! I’m gonna be 53 when the last avatar movie comes out. I was 27 when I shot the very first @avatar movie,” she wrote on her Instagram Stories.
Avatar 3 features an ensemble cast led by Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana. Sam plays the human Jake Sully while Zoe plays Jake’s Na’vi wife, Neytiri. Other returning cast members include Sigourney Weaver as Kiri Sully, Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch, Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge, Joel David Moore as Dr. Norm Spellman, CCH Pounder as Mo’at, Kate Winslet as Ronal, Edie Falco as General Frances Ardmore, Jack Champion as Miles “Spider” Socorro, Cliff Curtis as Tonowari, Dileep Rao as Dr. Max Patel, Britain Dalton as Lo’ak, Brendan Cowell as Captain Mick Scoresby, and Jermaine Clement as Dr. Ian Garvin.
New faces are popping up in Avatar 3, as well. Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh is joining the franchise as Dr. Karina Mogue, a human scientist. Game of Thrones alum Oona Chaplin is playing Varang, leader of the Ash People. David Thewlis has been cast as a Na’vi character.
Director James Cameron teased the Avatar 3 plot in an interview with the French newspaper 20 Minutes. “The fire will be represented by the ‘Ash People.’ I want to show the Na’vi from another angle because, so far, I have only shown their good sides,” James said in the interview. “In the early films, there are very negative human examples and very positive Na’vi examples. In Avatar 3, we will do the opposite.” The famous director added, “We will also explore new universes while continuing the story of the main characters. I can say that the last parts will be the best. The others were an introduction, a way to set the table before serving the meal.”
