Had Disney not allowed James Cameron to shoot Avatar: The Way of Water and Avatar 3 back-to-back, we can't help but think the Avatar sequel might have boasted a slightly stronger story. It felt like half a movie in many respects, and franchise producer Jon Landau has now confirmed at least one big retcon is planned for the upcoming threequel.
During the events of Avatar: The Way of Water, Brendan Cowell's villainous Mick Scoresby ends up having his arm torn off after attempting to kill yet another Tulkun on the RDA's behalf.
After that, he was thrown into the ocean, seemingly dying in a satisfyingly brutal fashion. However, Landau has told Empire Magazine (via SFFGazette.com) that Scoresby is very much alive...and out for revenge! He'd also go on to tease that Edie Falco's General Ardmore will step into the spotlight as more is revealed about what the RDA has planned for Pandora.
These and a few other minor details are all that have really been revealed about the next Avatar movie, though it was reported some time ago that Game of Thrones star Oona Chaplin will appear in the threequel.
Best known for playing Talisa Maegyr in the HBO series' second and third seasons, it's said that she will portray Varang, leader of the Na'vi Ash People, in Avatar 3. That faction was first teased during Avatar: The Way of Water's press tour, and they're expected to be a significant part of this next movie.
"There are good humans, and there are bad humans - the same thing on the Navi side - but oftentimes, people don't see themselves as bad," Landau teased. "What is the root cause of how they evolve into what we perceive as bad? Maybe there are other factors there that we're not aware of."
Cameron's ambitious plans to continue expanding this world look set to continue, and this sounds like it could be Chaplin's biggest role to date. With Avatar: The Way of Water nearing $2 billion at the worldwide box office, we've no doubt the filmmaker will be exploring Pandora on screen for many years to come.
Avatar 3 is currently set to be released in theatres on December 20, 2024.