James Cameron has provided updates on the Avatar sequels, which could avoid a tragic future for Jake and Neytiri. 2009's Avatar introduced audiences to Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a former Marine who found himself integrating into life as a Na'vi on the vibrant world of Pandora and falling in love with Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) before transferring his consciousness permanently into his avatar body. Jake and Neytiri's story continued in Avatar: The Way of Water, which also introduced their children, characters who will become hugely important as the Avatar franchise progresses with the three planned sequels.
After the tragic death of Neteyam (Jamie Flatters) during the end battle of Avatar: The Way of Water, it seemed possible that either Jake or Neytiri could meet their demise in future Avatar films. This turn of events would certainly provide an epic emotional gut-punch, which Avatar creator James Cameron has come to be known for in the franchise, shown through the destruction of Hometree in Avatar, and the hunting of the Tulkun and Neteyam's death in Avatar: The Way of Water. In a recent interview with BTV Korea, Cameron revealed a lot of behind-the-scenes information about the upcoming Avatar sequels and might have put these fears to rest.
James Cameron Implied Jake & Neytiri Won’t Die In Avatar Sequels (& That's Good)
During the BTV Korea interview, James Cameron mentioned that the upcoming Avatar sequels wouldn't be about "handing off the baton to the young people," allaying theories that the new young actors in Avatar: The Way of Water would replace Jake and Neytiri as the main characters of the franchise going forward. Cameron mentioned that "it's about seeing the entire family going forward through all of the crisis," which suggests that both Jake and Neytiri will survive throughout each of the future Avatar films, putting fears of their apparent impending deaths completely to rest.
This implication from Cameron is great news for the Avatar franchise. While the real story of the Avatar films is focused on Pandora, its cultures, and the corruption of humanity, Jake and Neytiri provide the films' eyes and ears, introducing new locations and characters on Pandora from a perspective that's understandable. Their relationship has been central since the very beginning, so it would be a shame to lose this dynamic as the franchise continues. While the young characters are brilliant to watch and full of charm, Avatar's Jake and Neytiri are the staples of the franchise, and the story should continue to be told through their eyes.
Avatar Sequels Will See The Entire Sully Family Battle The RDA
In his interview, Cameron not only mentioned that every film in the franchise would feature the same villain, that being humanity and the RDA on Pandora, but that the entire family would go forward in "the war with the RDA and the humans that are trying to crush out the Na'vi and colonize the planet." This implies that, just as Avatar: The Way of Water upped the ante by seeing humans return to the world in full force and establish Bridgehead City, the sequels are set to see humanity's colonization of Pandora expand further, which will create new challenges for the Sully family as the Avatar franchise continues.
