Trailer for ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Reveals New Villains, Fiery Conflict, and a Dark Turn for Pandora
The first trailer for Avatar: Fire and Ash is finally out, and it’s bringing some major heat—literally. The third movie in James Cameron’s sci-fi franchise gives us a glimpse at a much darker side of Pandora, and it’s not looking good for Jake Sully and his family.
The trailer was first shown before The Fantastic Four: First Steps in theaters, but now 20th Century Studios has dropped it online.
This is our first official look at Fire and Ash ahead of its December 19, 2025 release date.
In the trailer, we hear Jake (played by Sam Worthington) pleading with Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), saying, “You can’t live like this baby — in hate!” Tension between the Na’vi and the humans hasn’t cooled down at all, and now we’re seeing even more division among the Na’vi clans themselves. This time, it’s the Ash People who step into the spotlight, and they’re clearly not friendly.
The trailer shows chaos unfolding again. Neytiri is terrified for her children’s safety. Spider, the human teen raised among the Na’vi, is also back and still getting into trouble. And Recom Quaritch—the human soldier who now exists in a Na’vi body—is still on a mission to destroy what’s left of Sully’s world.
One of the most intense moments in the trailer comes from Oona Chaplin’s new character, Varang, the leader of the Ash People. She stares down Kiri, played by Sigourney Weaver, and says, “Your goddess has no dominion here.” It’s a chilling line that hints at the Ash clan’s brutal philosophy.
Alongside Worthington and Saldaña, the returning cast includes Cliff Curtis, Britain Dalton, Trinity Bliss, Jack Champion, Bailey Bass, and Kate Winslet. The movie is written by James Cameron, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver, with the story also credited to Josh Friedman and Shane Salerno. That’s according to reports from Deadline and Variety.
The journey to get Fire and Ash made has been long. Production started all the way back in 2017, with filming taking place in New Zealand. It was shot at the same time as The Way of Water and wrapped in 2020 after more than three years.
A lot of the delay had to do with the new tech needed for underwater motion capture, which had never been done before on this scale.
The release date has changed many times—nine, to be exact. The most recent delay happened in August 2024. Right now, it’s locked in for December 19, 2025. James Cameron has said there are two more Avatar films in the works, expected in 2029 and 2031.
The stakes are getting higher with every movie. The Way of Water earned over $2.3 billion and became the third highest-grossing film of all time. Combined, the first two films have made more than $5.2 billion, with the original Avatar still holding the all-time box office record at $2.92 billion.
With Fire and Ash, Cameron is diving deeper into the world of Pandora—showing that even among the Na’vi, peace isn’t guaranteed. And judging by this first trailer, the fire is just getting started.
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