Avatar
director James Cameron reveals that Jake Sully is partially based on himself. Released in 2009, the sci-fi fantasy film remains not just Cameron’s most successful film ever, but the highest-grossing movie of all time. Avatar stars Sam Worthington in the lead role of Jake, a paraplegic marine dispatched on a mission to colonize the alien moon of Pandora who becomes torn between following orders and defending the people and culture he comes to love. Worthington returns as Jake to lead the cast of Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), Cameron’s hit sequel.
During a recent interview with Empire magazine, Cameron recalls the writing process for the Avatar sequels. The director reveals that the franchise’s characters were created and written by drawing from his own life, as well as the lives of his co-writers, Amanda Silver, Rick Jaffa, Josh Friedman, and Shane Salerno. Cameron mentions Jake, specifically, as a character that has qualities that are partially based on aspects of his own personality. Read Cameron’s explanation below:
These characters are amalgams of us, our childhoods, our role as parents, the mistakes we made, and probably to some extent continue to make as parents. A lot of self-reflection. I mean, Jake is a hard-ᴀss motherf*cker. He’s very hard on his kids. Well, that’s me. I said, “Let’s make him an a**hole. Let’s make him The Great Santini. Let’s challenge the audience to like him, and see that it’s coming from love and fear and all of those things.”
What Jake’s Fatherhood Journey Means For The Avatar Franchise
Cameron’s Focus On Family Will Continue In The Sequels
Where the first Avatar is a love story between Jake and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), the second film instead focuses on the larger Sully family, exploring Jake and Neytiri’s role as parents. A key dramatic question in The Way of Water revolves around how Jake can balance being a father with his duties as one of the leaders of the Na’vi resistance on Pandora. This dual role, of course, results in the death of his son, Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), and the Avatar: The Way of Water ending sees Jake again committing to defending his home against human invaders.
The exploration of Jake’s struggles as a father will seemingly continue in future Avatar movies, including in the story for Avatar: Fire and Ash later this year. Though Jake will seemingly remain a central figure in the saga, upcoming films will put his children even more front and center. In Fire and Ash, it has been confirmed that one form this will take is in the narration, with Jake’s son, Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), set to take over from Jake for this particular installment.
A popular Avatar: Fire and Ash fan theory stemming from teases regarding just how emotional the upcoming film is posits that Jake could die in defense of his family and home.
Our Take On The Avatar Franchise’s Exploration Of Parenthood
The Franchise’s Family Themes Are Universal
The decision to focus The Way of Water on the Sully family unit was ultimately a wise one, as it allowed Cameron and the franchise’s co-writers to explore themes that are important to them in their own lives. Though the world of Avatar is obviously very far removed from reality, the elements that keep it grounded are the emotions and the struggles of parents and their children. Characters like Jake, Neytiri, Lo’ak, Neteyam, Tuk (Trinity Bliss), and Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), are immensely human, despite being aliens.
It’s this exploration of universal human themes, in addition to the stunning visuals, that helped Avatar: The Way of Water succeed with audiences. With Fire and Ash and the following two sequels seemingly set to follow this same path, it certainly seems like the Avatar franchise will continue to lean into universal elements of the human experience in its storytelling.
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Avatar Sequels Release Dates |
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Avatar: Fire and Ash |
Dec. 19, 2025 |
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Avatar 4 |
Dec. 21, 2029 |
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Avatar 5 |
Dec. 19, 2031 |
Source: Empire
Avatar
- Created by
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James Cameron
- First Film
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Avatar
- Latest Film
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Avatar: The Way of Water
- Upcoming Films
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Avatar: Fire and Ash, Avatar 4, Avatar 5
- Cast
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Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jermaine Clement
Summary
The Avatar franchise, created by James Cameron, is a groundbreaking sci-fi saga set in the lush, alien world of Pandora. It explores the conflict between the indigenous Na’vi people and human colonizers from Earth, focusing on themes of environmentalism, imperialism, and the clash of civilizations. The franchise is renowned for its innovative use of 3D technology and visual effects, creating a visually stunning and immersive cinematic experience.
