James Cameron reveals how Avatar: Fire and Ash ends the first saga of the franchise

Avoid calling 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' a sequel, as the veteran director has clarified that the first three films form a single saga. Part two of this saga will include the remaining two films in the popular franchise that waged the war on Pandora, beginning in 2009.

James Cameron was in a conversation with Gizmodo where he shared how he sees his films, saying that,

"I don’t think of Fire and Ash as a sequel. I think it was a culmination of a saga. I like ‘saga’ better than ‘sequel’ because a lot of where we were going with the story was in the original architecture of the story. So if you think of this as the third act, I think that’s healthier."

It met with some positive reviews when shown to the members of the press recently, who called it "emotionally impactful," "out-of-this-world," 'jaw dropping," and more.

What has transpired in this "saga" so far?

The first movie in the franchise sets the stage for a story where Earth is experiencing ecological collapse. An organization called the Resources Development Administration (RDA) discovers Pandora, a planet inhabited by the Na'vi people. Given the capitalist mindset of the major players, their actions are likely to bring the same fate to Pandora as Earth. They don't seem to care about human or any other life - it's all about money.

Amid this, Jake Sully, a paraplegic Marine, is recruited as an operator for the planet Pandora. At first, he seems to be an asset for the organization and influences the RDA to destroy the habitats of the Na'vi people. However, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), in his Na'vi Avatar, later joins the tribe and helps push back the RDA from destroying it.

In the second film, Avatar: The Way of Water, Jake Sully has become a member of the Na'vi tribe, sacrificing his old body to Eywa, the Great Mother of Pandora, and has started a family of his own. However, the ghost of his past, Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), who is determined to take revenge for what Sully did, chases him. Sadly, Miles also fails to catch him in part two. He will try again in Avatar: Fire and Ash.

What's brewing in Avatar: Fire and Ash?

Now, Avatar: Fire and Ash introduces a new, quite dangerous antagonist on Pandora, Varang, played by Oona Chaplin. You can already sense the villainous vibes in the latest trailer. Anyone can tell she isn't in the mood to talk. Even though we know a war is raging on Pandora and her Ash People will be at the center of it, there's also hope for the upcoming sagas.

The last two films in the franchise are set to release in 2029 and 2031, which also means that the scope of what happens in the Avatar universe will only grow. And Ash People might be here because James Cameron wants to include them as a Na'vi family rather than enemies.