We’re Worried About Jake & Neytiri After Zoe Saldaña’s Latest Avatar 3 Tease

Avatar: Fire and Ash star Zoe Saldaña sheds further light on the film’s story, hinting at a very emotional arc for the Sully family. In an interview with Variety, the Oscar-nominated actress was asked about what audiences can expect when the latest installment in the Avatar franchise opens this December. Understandably, Saldaña couldn’t get into too much detail, but she teased that Fire and Ash will push Jake and Neytiri to their limits as they grapple with the aftermath of the events of Avatar: The Way of Water. She implied that there will be some tough choices ahead for the characters.

“It’s going to be an emotional roller coaster,” Saldaña said. “The way The Way of Water ended was unimaginably painful for the Sully family. Now, they have to make really strong decisions. Do they stay united and find common ground, or do they go their separate ways? And God knows what’s going to happen to the existing children.”

In Avatar: The Way of Water, Jake and Neytiri suffer the loss of their eldest son, Neteyam, who died during the film’s climactic battle. Previously, Saldaña has discussed how this story thread will be explored in the third film, explaining that the Sully family will need to find a way to persevere amidst the ongoing conflict on Pandora. Director James Cameron has promised Fire and Ash will not sugarcoat its exploration of grief, which sets it apart from other Hollywood tentpoles.

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As the Avatar franchise continues, Cameron is looking to take greater risks in the storytelling department, promising that Fire and Ash takes things “to a level of character and intrigue” audiences haven’t seen before. In addition to tapping into a stronger emotional core, the director is finding ways to riff on the series’ established tropes. The introduction of the new Ash Clan was his way to deviate from what he called the “‘all humans are bad, all Na’Vi are good’ paradigm.”

The Sully family is committed to fighting the RDA, but after losing one child, continuing that struggle will not be easy. Jake and Neytiri’s dynamic has been an integral part of the Avatar films from the beginning, and it would be a devastating blow if the characters decide to part ways in Fire and Ash. A twist like that would play into Cameron’s desire to highlight grief; everyone mourns in their own way, and perhaps things become too much for Neytiri to bear and she opts to leave Jake. Even if they eventually reunite, this would make for some compelling drama and it would be fascinating to see how the characters react to that situation.

Given the strength of Jake and Neytiri’s love, it seems unlikely they would separate for good. But the two may need to walk their own individual paths as they process everything that’s happened and figure out what to do next. It’s common for sequels to split the main characters up, allowing them to grow and change on their own before they’re brought back together. That formula could enhance Avatar: Fire and Ash‘s emotional core; after spending time apart from each other and learning more about themselves, a Jake and Neytiri reunion towards the end of the film would make for a strong payoff. Whatever happens, it sounds like Avatar 3 will have plenty of substance to balance out the sci-fi spectacle.