It almost feels strange to be going back to Pandora so soon. Three years between movies is nothing compared to 13, but who’s complaining? Certainly not fans of the most visually stunning blockbusters in history. And that title goes to Avatar, the second sequel to which is due for release at the end of 2025. James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire & Ash, the third installment in his epic sci-fi saga, is set to continue the story of Jake Sully, Neytiri, and their growing family and, following the stunning aquatic vistas of Avatar: The Way of Water, this time we’re heading for another element, in the form of Fire & Ash, which will introduce us to new clans across Pandora.

In an exclusive new interview with Empire, Cameron unveiled fresh concept art from the upcoming film, including a first look at the fearsome new antagonist and leader of the Ash Clan, Varang, who is played by Oona Chaplin (best known for her time on Game of Thrones), who will bring a new kind of adversary to our big, blue heroes. The Ash Clan stands apart from the Na’vi clans introduced so far. Hardened by tragedy and hardship, they represent a more morally ambiguous take on the Na’vi people, a clan who sometimes to take matters into their own hands in ways that could be deemed less than heroic.

“Varang is the leader of a people who have gone through an incredible hardship. She’s hardened by that. She will do anything for them, even things that we would consider to be evil. One thing we wanted to do in this film is not be black-and-white simplistic. Or blue-and-pink simplistic.”

‘Fire & Ash’ Will Offer a New Take on the Na’vi

Unlike the previous films, where the primary antagonists were human-led RDA forces invading Pandora, Fire & Ash will make a big effort to blur the lines between good and evil. “We’re trying to evolve beyond the ‘all humans are bad, all Na’vi are good’ paradigm,” Cameron explained.

Chaplin’s performance as Varang appears to have taken Cameron by surprise. “Her embodiment of [Varang] is so good that I didn’t quite appreciate how good her performance is until we got the Wētā animation back,” he revealed. “She’s an enemy, an adversarial character, but [Chaplin] makes her feel so real and alive.”

But it’s not all doom and gloom, as we’ll also meet the Wind Traders, a nomadic Na’vi clan who navigate the skies aboard massive Pandoran creatures and who are described by Cameron as “equivalent to the camel caravans of the Spice Road back in the Middle Ages.”

“They’re just fun. Like all Na’vi, they live in a symbiosis with their creatures. If you’ve got any nautical blood in your veins, you’ll want to be on [their] ship.”

Avatar: Fire & Ash will open in theaters in December 2025.

via Collider