Avatar: Fire and Ash may be the last movie set on Pandora, but that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. With every upcoming Avatar movie having an official release date, the future of James Cameron’s universe looks to be fleshed out a great deal in a relatively short space of time. After a huge wait between the first two Avatar movies, the writer/director seems determined not to keep fans in the dark. Avatar: Fire and Ash‘s release date is currently set as December 19, 2025, so there’s a little over a year until the saga continues.
The ongoing war between the Na’vi and humanity is at the heart of Avatar‘s story. Unfortunately, there can only really be two possible outcomes – either the Na’vi win or the humans do. There will certainly be more deaths before the conflict is over if the fights remain as high-octane as the end of Avatar: The Way of Water. However, the fate of the characters isn’t the only thing that can change before the saga is over, as the Na’vi’s home moon slowly becomes an unsalvageable battleground.
Avatar 3’s “Fire & Ash” Title Points Toward Pandora’s Destruction
Pandora can only take so much punishment
The subtitle for Avatar 3 is likely a reference to the new Na’vi tribe which will be introduced in the second sequel. Being referred to as the Ash People, the franchise’s new subspecies of Na’vi will be the fiery counterparts to the forest and water variants that have already been shown. The movie’s subtitle is unlikely to simply be a nod to the Ash People’s debut, though. Instead, what’s perhaps more likely is that Fire and Ash is a quiet foreshadowing of Pandora being reduced to rubble as a result of the fighting.
Avatar 2
has already proven that, no matter how far Jake Sully travels across the surface of Pandora, the war will catch up with him.
Avatar 2 has already proven that, no matter how far Jake Sully travels across the surface of Pandora, the war will catch up with him. Even if he dies, that won’t be an end to the bloodshed. So, Jake and his family have no choice but to stay on the move and defend themselves and their home whenever they come up against another faction of Earth’s military. This dynamic can’t continue indefinitely, and Pandora can only withstand so many fights before it is rendered uninhabitable – which could be in Fire and Ash.
Finally, The Avatar Franchise Could Explore Other Moons & Planets
Pandora is only a very small corner of the Avatar universe
While Pandora has proven to be a vibrant and cinematic setting for the first two Avatar movies, limiting the story to the surface of one Earth-like moon feels like a huge waste of the universe’s potential. Although the franchise has sat comfortably within the sci-fi franchise to this point, interplanetary exploration would push Avatar into the realm of space operas​​​​​​. The very premise of the series already makes Avatar a space opera, so the post-Fire and Ash movies need to capitalize on this.
Although Polyphemus isn’t habitable – or even capable of being landed on – there are other planets that can be explored.
Pandora is just one of fourteen moons in orbit of the gas giant, Polyphemus. After three movies on the same moon, Avatar 3 needs to end with Pandora in ruins or at least with the main characters choosing to leave it behind. It’s exciting to think about what other planets and moons in the Avatar universe can offer to the narrative. Although Polyphemus isn’t habitable – or even capable of being landed on – there are other planets that can be explored.
Avatar 4 & Beyond Must Leave Pandora In Order To Survive
James Cameron’s franchise needs to reinvent itself eventually
There are already many similarities between the first two Avatar movies, so future sequels need to be very careful to avoid becoming formulaic. While the franchise has already made more than enough money to withstand a few (unlikely) box office bombs, James Cameron presumably still wants to make the most engaging movies possible. If the future of the series is just endless battles on the surface of the same moon in a potentially limitless fictitious world, then the legacy it has worked so hard to establish could be tarnished.
With the Na’vi traveling to Earth in Avatar 5, the franchise is clearly aware of its requirement to grow and evolve as it progresses. Speaking with People, James Cameron has confirmed he has “got ideas for six and seven .“ So, although the Avatar movies have only been greenlit through to the fifth installment, the director doesn’t seem content with letting the saga conclude after that. This planned longevity for the universe makes it even more important that Avatar: Fire and Ash‘s title does in fact mean the story will continue away from Pandora after the second sequel.
Source: People
