Avatar: The Way of Water has become a worldwide phenomenon, and now the fandom is eagerly looking forward to Avatar 3. A majority of fans thought that it would be tough for Avatar 2 to reach $2 billion. But it is going way past that mark. So clearly, there is a huge market for the Avatar franchise and Disney is going to capitalize on it with Avatar 3.
While transitioning from Avatar to Avatar: The Way of Water, James Cameron introduced an entirely new clan and upgraded the villains. Avatar only had one major villain. But Avatar 2 needed something bigger. So along with bringing Quaritch back with an upgrade, James Cameron added two other smaller villains to support him. Going by that logic, we can assume that Avatar 3 could have at least four, if not five.
Avatar 3 could see an interesting lineup of villains
The Ash People
So far, we’ve only seen the Na’vi people as good guys because James Cameron portrayed humans as villains. But even on Pandora, evil Na’vi people exist. And that’s what Cameron is about to showcase in Avatar 3 as he introduces new villains to the franchise.
The French newspaper 20 minutes interviewed the director, where he revealed that we’ll be seeing the Na’vi people in a negative light. He will be introducing viewers to the Ash people who would belong to the fiery surroundings of a volcanic biome.
Cameron said:
“Different cultures from those I have already shown. The fire will be represented by the “Ash People.””
Just as the Metkayina are commonly known as the Sea People, the Fire Clan will be known as the Ash People. Oona Chaplin, David Thewlis, and Michelle Yeoh will make their debuts in Avatar 3. Among them, Chaplin has been confirmed to play Varang, the leader of the Ash People.
This new clan will act as the main antagonist in Avatar 3.
Recombinant Quaritch
This Na’vi clone of Quaritch swore that he would always keep coming for Jake and Neytiri. So, it is likely that he won’t stop in Avatar 3. But how will he come into play with the Ash people involved?
A running theory is that since Quaritch has already lost to the Sullys twice, he is in dire need of an upgrade. The upgrade will come when he joins hands with the evil Ash people. Being pure evil, Quaritch will totally fit in with the Ash people.
Just like Jake learned the way of water, Quaritch will learn the way of fire and take the war to him. That is the only way he can gain the upper hand on Jake and Neytiri now.
Mick Scoresby
Brendan Cowell played a ruthless RDA Tulkun hunter named Mick Scoresby in Avatar 2. His hand was brutally ripped off by Payakan in the film, so everyone expected that he would have died. But that’s not the case, as recently, producer John Landau confirmed that Scoresby will return to enact his revenge.
He has been pretty good at hunting Tulkuns till now. So maybe he could get his own recom-body as well. Or he could just get a prosthetic arm. But it’s likelier that we’ll see him only through flashbacks where he returns to elaborate on the concept of Amrita.
General Frances Ardmore
General Ardmore (Edie Falco) is the SecOps general of RDA who welcomed Recom-Quaritch back on Pandora. She didn’t have a huge role in Avatar 2. But she was a major player in the events that happened between Avatar (2009) and Avatar: The Way of Water, which were revealed in Avatar: The High Ground comics.
After the Omaticaya sent the RDA back to Earth, it was Ardmore who led the humans back onto Pandora by fighting Jake and the Omaticaya people. She re-established a strong footing by taking over Hell’s Gate. So, she will play a substantial role in Avatar 3 as well.
Besides these four confirmed villains, we’ve also got a wild card.
Honorable Mention – Spider [A Theory]
Jake Champion is set to return as Spider, but after what he did in The Way of Water, he could be pushed into villainy. He developed a relationship with his father, which allowed them to be sympathetic towards each other. Ultimately, Spider couldn’t let Recom Quaritch die, even after all his crimes.
He chose to go back to the Sullys. But it's known that Neytiri has been unwilling to accept Spider. And once she and the others find out what he did, even the likes of Jake and Lo’ak might reject him. That’s when Spider could go and join his father to become a part of the Ash people.
Another reason to think of this outcome is that Jake Champion mentioned that Avatar 3 takes a hard left on things. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he said:
“I was very shocked by [Avatar 3]. It just takes a hard left turn, and that’s not a bad thing. You think you know where it’s going, but then a wrecking ball comes. So you’re completely like, ‘Oh wow, I never thought that would’ve happened.’ You also see more regions of Pandora, and you get introduced to more cultures. So I think it’s even better than Avatar 2. Collectively, they’ll each get better.”
So, he could have meant that Spider would turn into an antagonist. But we’ll know for sure once Avatar 3’s marketing campaign begins.
Avatar: The Seed Bearer is set to arrive on December 20, 2024.