Avatar: Fire and Ash

gets its first official image, revealing Neytiri looking more fierce than ever in James Cameron’s sequel. After the mᴀssive success of Avatar: The Way of Water in 2022, Cameron’s hit sci-fi franchise is set to return later this year with a third installment of a planned five. The Avatar: Fire and Ash story will continue the saga of Sam Worthington’s Jake Sully and Zoe Saldaña’s Neytiri after the death of their son, Neteyam, following the couple and their children as they contend with the RDA and a violent new Na’vi tribe known as the Ash People.

After numerous pieces of concept art, Empire now shares the first image from Avatar: Fire and Ash, showing Saldaña’s Neytiri pulling back the string on her bow, warpaint and a fierce expression on her face. There is also what appears to be blood on her temple and cheek. Check out the image below:

In the article, Saldaña teases what’s to come for Neytiri in the story for Fire and Ash, revealing that the “absolute devastation” the character is feeling at the end of The Way of Water over the loss of Neteyam will bleed into the next installment, testing the bond she has with Jake and the Na’vi more generally:

“That pain is seamlessly followed up on. And because it doesn’t really have anywhere to go, and doesn’t go away, rage can also come from it. [The Sullys] are going to be tested as a family. Not only would everything that’s happening compel her to question the bond she has with her husband, but also her bond with herself, her people, her land, and the way the Na’vi are. She’s going to question everything.”

While Saldaña is careful not to reveal too much about how Neytiri will be interacting with the Ash People in the upcoming film, the actor says that her character will “meet her match” with Varang, the new clan’s leader, played by Oona Chaplin. Cameron also shares a few words about Saldaña’s performance in Fire and Ash, teasing that audiences are in for a powerful leading turn from the franchise veteran:

“Zoe is incandescent in this film. With Emilia Pérez, she’s finally getting recognised as the top-tier actor we’ve always known she is. But in [Fire And Ash], that goes way beyond what you’ve seen before.”

What This Means For Avatar: Fire & Ash

More Tragedy Could Await The Sully Family

Though the new image lacks context and a clear background, Avatar: The Way of Water‘s ending saw Neytiri unleashing violence upon the RDA after Neteyam’s death. This fierceness seemingly won’t be going anywhere in the next installment, and, judging from Saldaña’s tease above, Neytiri’s rage in this particular instance may not be directed at the RDA. Many questions remain about the Ash People, aka the Mangkwan clan, but Cameron has teased that they will complicate the good-Na’vi-versus-bad-humans dicH๏τomy of the previous films.

Cameron has also teased that Avatar: Fire and Ash will be an especially emotional experience, with the director previously telling Empire that his wife “bawled for four hours” after watching an early cut. This emotion could certainly stem from a major character death, but Saldaña’s reveal about a rocky road ahead for Neytiri and Jake’s relationship could also be a big contributor to this. After both characters took a backseat in The Way of Water as new characters were introduced, Jake and Neytiri could become a main focus once more.

Our Take On The New Avatar: Fire & Ash Image

Neytiri Deserves The Spotlight In The Next Movie

By this time in 2022, the first teaser trailer for Avatar: The Way of Water had already been released ahead of that film’s theatrical bow in December, meaning the marketing for the third film is taking a bit of a different approach. As the wait continues for more promotional materials, it’s exciting to see the first glimpse of the next Pandora adventure as the visuals in Cameron’s sci-fi saga become even more life-like.

While the younger Avatar: The Way of Water cast members effectively carried that film as the franchise introduced itself to younger generations, the decision to put Jake and Neytiri more on the sidelines wasn’t without criticism. Neytiri, especially, has emerged as one of the most compelling characters in the franchise, and it could be great to see her featured more prominently when Avatar: Fire and Ash arrives later this year.

Source: Empire