Summary
James Cameron’s blockbuster sci-fi franchiseAvatarwill continue in its third installment in 2025. Not much is known plot-wise yet about the third film,Avatar: Fire & Ash, but Disney recently released some new concept art for the movie that fans can sink their teeth into.
Cameron’s sci-fi franchise began back in 2009 when the firstAvatarfilm pulled in over 2 billion dollars to become the highest-grossing film of all time (at the time). Despite Cameron speaking openly abouthis intentions to continueAvatar, the franchise lay dormant for over a decade as the technology needed to fulfill Cameron’s vision was developed. In 2022, the sequel,Avatar: The Way of Waterwas finally released, showcasing incredible new visuals and introducing audiences to a whole new area of Cameron’s world of Pandora. Despite the long gap between installments,Avatarstill worked its magic at the box office withThe Way of Watercementing its place as the third highest-grossing film of all time.
First Avatar 3 Concept Arts Revealed
The gap between the second and thirdAvatarmovies will not be as long as the first two, asCameron filmed both sequels back-to-backover three years.Avatar: Fire & Ashis still over a year away, butDisneygave fans a hint of what to expect from the sequel at D23 Brazil, showcasing five brand-new pieces of concept art. The art pieces come from designers Steve Messing, Dylan Cole, and Zachary Berger, and show off new creature designs and unseen Na’vi tribes.
One major element of the thirdAvatarmovie seems to be a new air tribe of Na’vi, which is shown in a couple of pieces flying in balloon-type aerial ships. The art also depicts a tribe ofred Na’vi, aka the Ash people, who are depicted bringing prisoners into a camp within a volcanic environment. The new tribe is differentiated by the red warpaint the members wear on their faces and bodies. Another image shows a Na’vi warrior riding atop a new type of winged creature. The animal looks similar to the Banshees that have already been introduced in the franchise, but it features a different wing structure and pattern. The final image confirms that the Metkayina water tribe will continue to be involved in the third movie as a group of these Na’vi are seen gathering on rafts in the ocean among a group of the whale-like Tulkun.
Disney did not provide any descriptions of the concept art, so it’s up for interpretation as to how each of these new pieces plays into the thirdAvatarmovie.Avatar: Fire & Ashwill further explore the complexities of the Na’vi tribes, with the Ash People supposedly being thefirst Na’vi positioned as enemies, a spot that has thus far been reserved for humans.
Avatar Continues To Share Similarities With Avatar: The Last Airbender
One common perception from fans is that Cameron’sAvatarfranchise seems to be following asimilar blueprint toAvatar: The Last Airbenderin the way it is introducing new Na’vi tribes based on the natural elements, similar to the four nations in the animated series. These similarities may continue inAvatar’sdepiction of the Ash people as villains, as the Fire Nation is also the enemy faction inAvatar: The Last Airbender, but how far exactly the parallels go remains to be seen.
Avatar: Fire & Ashis scheduled to be released on Jul 12, 2025.
