Filmmaker James Cameron’s highly anticipated third instalment in the Avatar saga, titled Avatar: Fire and Ash, is set to continue the sweeping narrative on Pandora. The film, which will premiere globally on 19 December 2025, introduces a formidable new antagonist: Varang, portrayed by Game of Thrones star Oona Chaplin.
The first-look poster, unveiled on Tuesday, features Chaplin as Varang—the leader of the Mangkwan Clan, also known as the Ash People. This newly introduced Na’vi tribe inhabits Pandora’s volcanic regions, marking a departure from the lush rainforests featured in earlier films.
In an interview with Empire, Cameron described Varang as “the leader of a people who have gone through an incredible hardship. She’s hardened by that,” he said, adding: “She will do anything for them, even things that we would consider to be evil.” The director emphasised that the film aims to go beyond binary notions of good and evil, stating: “We’re trying to evolve beyond the ‘all humans are bad, all Na’vi are good’ paradigm.”
According to The New York Times, the film’s first trailer set to debut in cinemas alongside The Fantastic Four: First Steps on 25 July 2025 was recently screened behind closed doors at Disney’s offices in New York and Los Angeles. In the footage, Varang appears in a dramatic red-and-black headdress, navigating a molten volcanic landscape and wielding a flamethrower.
One scene reportedly shows Varang taking Jake and Neytiri’s daughter, Kiri (played by Sigourney Weaver), hostage. She delivers a chilling line: “Your goddess has no dominion here,” hinting at a fierce ideological rift between the Ash People and other Na’vi clans.
Cameron continues to expand the world of Pandora, with Fire and Ash introducing not only the Ash People but also the Wind Traders a Na’vi tribe known for soaring in hot air balloons. Tensions between these factions escalate, with one dramatic scene featuring a fiery arrow piercing the flesh of a Na’vi warrior.
The story picks up directly after the events of Avatar: The Way of Water and centres on Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and their family as they confront the Ash People, who have distanced themselves from Eywa, the Na’vi deity.
“We cannot live like this, baby. We cannot live with this hate,” Jake tells Neytiri in the trailer, setting the emotional tone for what promises to be another epic entry in the Avatar franchise.
Produced and distributed by 20th Century Studios, Avatar: Fire and Ash features returning stars including Worthington, Saldaña, and Weaver, and is expected to be one of the most significant cinematic releases of 2025.