The world of Avatar is heating up, literally. The third installment in James Cameron’s epic sci-fi saga, titled Avatar: Fire and Ash, has unveiled its first look, spotlighting the franchise’s newest antagonist: Varang, the fierce leader of the Ash People. Played by Game of Thrones alum Oona Chaplin, Varang promises to be one of the most compelling figures in Pandora’s expanding universe.
Set for a global release on December 19, 2025, Fire and Ashshifts the narrative focus to Pandora’s volcanic regions, where Varang’s clan, the Mangkwan, or Ash People, reside. A new poster released this week shows the character in an intense pose, offering a fiery tease of what’s to come.
“She’s hardened by incredible hardship,” director James Cameron told Empire in an interview. “She will do anything for her people, even things we would consider to be evil.” He added that the character is meant to blur the lines of morality: “We’re trying to evolve beyond the ‘all humans are bad, all Na’vi are good’ paradigm.”
The Avatar X account also confirmed that fans will get their first glimpse of the trailer in theatres from July 25, but only during screenings of Marvel’s Fantastic Four: First Steps. The move mirrors the rollout strategy of The Way of Water, whose visuals were first revealed during a Marvel theatrical run.
Those lucky enough to have seen the trailer, first previewed at CinemaCon and recently screened privately at Disney offices, described an intense atmosphere. Varang appears in a red-and-black headdress, navigating a molten landscape with a flamethrower in hand. A particularly chilling moment reportedly shows her holding Jake and Neytiri’s daughter, Kiri, hostage, snarling, “Your goddess has no dominion here.”
The trailer also introduces two other Na’vi tribes: the Wind Traders, who traverse the skies in hot air balloon-like crafts, and the Ash People, who ride airborne beasts into battle. The visuals, according to reports, are among the most ambitious the franchise has delivered yet. “We cannot live with this hate,” Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) tells Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) in one of the trailer’s emotional beats, underlining the internal conflict and deepening lore the film promises to explore.
Picking up after The Way of Water, the new film sees Jake’s family fractured and under siege as the Ash People rebel against the Na’vi’s traditional way of life and spiritual beliefs.
Produced by 20th Century Studios, Avatar: Fire and Ash reunites returning stars Worthington, Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, and more. As with its predecessors, expectations are sky-high; Avatar and The Way of Water each grossed over $2 billion worldwide. Should Fire and Ash follow suit, Avatar will become the first franchise in history to have three films surpass the $2 billion mark.
With two more sequels already dated for 2029 and 2031, Cameron’s cinematic universe shows no signs of slowing down, only burning brighte