Avatar: Fire and Ash gets a new tease from Sam Worthington at TIFF, who hints at how one emotional death will play into the story moving forward. The Way of Water was a mᴀssive success in 2022, and the Sully family saga is set to continue in the third installment in James Cameron’s hit Avatar franchise this December.

The Avatar: Fire and Ash story will follow Worthington’s Jake Sully and Zoe Saldaña’s Neytiri as their fight against the RDA continues, with the antagonistic Ash Clan set to make their debut. While there are sure to be shocking moments to come, The Way of Water surprised audiences with the death of Jake’s firstborn son, Neteyam, portrayed by Jamie Flatters.

Speaking with ScreenRant‘s Tatiana Hullender at the TIFF premiere of his new film, Fuze, Worthington hints that Neteyam’s death will continue to have an impact in Fire and Ash. While the star is careful not to reveal too much, he reveals the next installment picks up the story soon after the events of The Way of Water. Check out Worthington’s comment below:

I think the movie picks up not long after the second movie, so it’s going to have a ripple effect.

What This Means For Avatar: Fire & Ash

In The Way of Water, Neteyam is the mature older brother of the Sully family, and his relationship with Jake is relatively straightforward. Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), on the other hand, is more of an outcast, and his rebellious ways often put him at odds with his father.

Neteyam’s death is sure to have an effect on all members of the Sully family in different ways, and The Way of Water ending already hints at this. Immediately after Neteyam’s death, for example, Neytiri seems to emotionally shut down, ruthlessly killing an entire ship full of RDA soldiers.

The Avatar: Fire and Ash trailer teases that this Neytiri arc will continue, with Jake telling her that she can’t keep living “in hate.” Jake, meanwhile, seems to be more in control of his grief, but The Way of Water‘s ending scene sees him double down on protecting his family and his home.

For Lo’ak, Neteyam’s death could have a slightly different impact. Lo’ak could be feeling a certain amount of guilt, for example, as his actions put Neteyam on the SeaDragon where he was fatally sH๏τ. With no time jump between installments, these feelings will seemingly still be quite raw for the entire Sully family.

Our Take On Worthington’s Fire & Ash Tease

The Way of Water, in many ways, is about a father’s attempts to keep his family together and protect them. Neteyam’s death is a shocking reminder that sometimes this just isn’t possible, and it will be interesting to explore this theme further in Fire and Ash.

The lack of any time jump could be a major strength in the next movie, as it will allow for a deeper exploration of the consequences of Neteyam’s death for different Fire and Ash characters. This makes the moment feel like a true turning point in the saga rather than a moment of emotional shock value.

It remains to be seen how the Sully family arc in Avatar: Fire and Ash will unfold, but audiences can evidently expect some more emotional moments to come as Neteyam’s death reverberates through the story.