James Cameron Explains How Sigourney Weaver's Character Could Return for Avatar 2

Sigourney Weaver played Dr. Grace Augustine, the leader of the AVTR (avatar) program in the 2009 blockbuster. She had a major role in the movie as she was at first the reluctant to embrace Sam Worthington's character, Jake Sully, but changed her view of him as she was able to use his friendship with Omaticaya clan to revisit the group.

But things went south for her character when she opened fire on the Samson and was fatally wounded in the skirmish. Jake took her human form to the Tree of Souls with the hope that her soul could be transferred to her avatar form. She was too weak for the transfer to succeed. In her final moments, she told Jake that she was with Eywa.

Sigourney is giving you the award tonight, and she’s supposed to be in Avatar 2,
despite her character dying in the first Avatar.
Did I say she was going to be in Avatar 2?[Grins.]

She said she was.
Well, I don’t want to disabuse her of that fantasy. But have you ever heard of nonlinear storytelling? A lot happens on that planet before she shows up, and before Jake shows up to join her. She’s there for fifteen years ahead of time. I don’t know, but I wouldn’t jump to conclusions. And I’ve already said way too much about Avatar 2 and 3 here and there, but people piece it together like those voice cameos and tell the whole story!

Okay, I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t like what they did to Ripley when she died.
Okay, here’s the deal. When you have a science-fiction series, a science-fiction franchise, you’re never dead, unless your DNA is expunged from the universe. And then there’s always time travel!

You’re also working on Avatar at Disney World. What’s going to happen there? What would you like to see?
We’re going to meet and discuss it. They have big plans for it. They want to do a land, a number of different attractions, maybe a flight attraction, and retail outlets, things like that, make a whole environment of it, a themed experience. You would feel like you’re on Pandora. So I think my job and what I look forward to doing is making sure it’s consistent with Na’vi culture, with the themes and values of Avatar, and the next films as well. And they seem very open to that.