Avatar: The Way of Water — What Comes Next for Pandora

It took some time, but the first sequel to what is to become the Avatar saga is nearly upon us. The first film debuted in 2009 and has managed — through many re-releases — to retain its place as the highest-grossing film of all time.

James Cameron works in mysterious ways. Normally, the sequel to one of the most commercially-successful and critically-beloved films wouldn’t take more than a decade to be released, yet The Way of Water, Avatar’s first sequel, promises to be unlike anything the world has ever seen.

While some critics weren’t too impressed by the first movie’s plot and character development, The Way of Water comes with a few surprises in this area that might place it in an upper tier compared to its predecessor. Along with some new faces, fans of the original “Avatar” will have to be on the lookout for some surprising returns.

A New Tribe

The Way of Water takes place in the oceans of Pandora. From the very beginning, Cameron confirmed that the first Avatar sequel would explore the marine ecosystems of Pandora, while the rest of the movies in the saga would later focus on the rest of Polyphemus’ moons. It’s worth noting that Cameron loves deep-sea exploration and marine biology — a recurring theme in some of his films.

The first movie showed us the inner workings of the Omaticaya clan, but the sequel focuses more on the Sully family. After the human forces of the Resources Development Administration return to Pandora, the Sullys move to the coastal regions of Pandora, where they meet the Metkayina, a sea-faring tribe of Na’vi.

Die-hard fans of the series will be pleased to hear that The Way of Water includes references to what happened in the Avatar comics, including Avatar: The High Ground. That said, the movie has been designed to be a standalone event that film-only fans can enjoy.

A movie that takes place mostly in or around large bodies of water is always a headache for filmmakers — just ask Steven Spielberg. While the Avatar films have always leaned heavily into their CGI visuals, The Way of Water went above and beyond merely having fully-CG actors rendered underwater. James Cameron should be more than proud of what he and his team achieved with the visuals of this film, as they, once again, are the stars of the show.

Next-Gen Tech

Part of the reason why it took more than a decade to develop an Avatar sequel is that the technology just wasn’t up to par with what Cameron envisioned. Creating a literal ocean of new species and CG actors swimming and interacting with real water in real time sounds like something out of a sci-fi flick, but that’s just how The Way of Water was filmed.

Actors had to learn how to free-dive for the film, as they had to film to shoot their scenes underwater. After every scene was shot, the digital effects team would have to replace every actor with their computer-generated models. It was surely a painstaking process, but the quality of The Way of Water’s visuals speaks for itself.

Still, the visual spectacle is only one of the reasons why fans are so eager to go see another Avatar film. It seems as if The Way of Water will take its sci-fi aspects to the next level with this sequel, both in the movie and behind the scenes. Another area that might be a surprise to many moviegoers with only a passing interest in the series is the film’s cast, which features some characters who, against all odds, will be returning for The Way of Water.

An Unexpected Cast

Before we delve deeper into some of the more surprising actors returning for the first Avatar sequel, let’s take a look into the ones that everyone expected to see returning to their characters since 2009.

Sam Worthington is back as Jake Sully, the human-turned-Na’vi at the center of the first film’s plot. Now a family man, Jake has adapted surprisingly well to his new life in Pandora.

Joining Worthington is Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri, the new leader of the Na’vi clan, and Jake’s mate. The couple now has three biological children and two adopted ones. The Sullys’ family dynamic serves as one of the main plot points of The Way of Water, with Neytiri being a bit less loving towards her adoptive children than Jake.

Jamie Flatters, Britain Dalton, and Trinity Jo-Li Bliss star as Neteyam, Lo’Ak, and Tuktirey, respectively — Jake and Neytiri’s biological children. As Avatar/Na’vi hybrids, some human-like features have manifested in them, like having five fingers instead of four, and eyebrows.

Along with the Sully kids, there’s Miles “Spider” Socorro, played by Jack Champion. He’s a human adopted by Jake and Neytiri. He appears prominently in the Avatar comic.

Perhaps the most surprising face of the Sully family is Kiri, played by none other than Sigourney Weaver. Audiences might remember that Weaver’s character — spoilers — dies during the events of the first Avatar. However, Kiri is the biological child of Dr. Grace Augustine’s (Weaver’s character) body. Her relationship with her deceased mother and her connection to the human world plays a prominent role in the plot of The Way of Water, so expect Kiri to become a main character of sorts in this film.

Another surprise return is that of Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch. His return comes in the form of a new concept introduced in The Way of Water: “Recombinants.” These avatars have been given the memories of humans, allowing previously deceased characters to join the series’ cast once more.

Surprisingly enough, Lang’s return had always been in the cards for James Cameron. He explained that Colonel Quaritch will serve as the main villain for the first three Avatar films, so we can expect to see him return in the sequel to The Way of Water.

Joining the world of Pandora this time are Kate Winslet and Cliff Curtis, who appear as Ronal and Tonowari, the leaders of the Metkayina clan.

Behind the scenes, James Cameron returns to direct, while Russell Carpenter will handle the film’s cinematography. Carpenter and Cameron have previously worked together on multiple films, including the celebrated “Titanic”.

“Avatar: The Way of Water” comes to cinemas this December, and a sequel — the third film in the Avatar saga — will be released in 2024. Hopefully.