Disney shared exciting new images from Avatar 3 (Avatar: Fire and Ash), showing off a never-before-seen look at the threequel's red Na'vi.
The red Na'vi will mark the first Avatar characters from Pandora who are a different color, adding a new and interesting dynamic to the franchise that has already grossed $5 billion at the box office. They will provide a look into areas of the fictional planet which have never been seen before.
Fans already have plenty of imagery to enjoy from Avatar 3, as the threequel has been in production for years and still has over a year until its release date.
Thankfully, with so much mystery still lurking over Pandora, director James Cameron has no shortage of material with which he can tease the fandom.
Disney Shares First Look at Avatar 3's Red Na'vi
During Disney's presentation at the 2024 D23 Brazil Fan Expo, the company showed off concept art from the upcoming third Avatar movie, titled Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Part of this imagery revealed a look at a Pandoran Na'vi settlement built by red-skinned Na'vi, who will be introduced for the first time in Avatar 3.
These red Na'vi are seen donning massive weaponry on their backs with huge fire pits lit on the ground beside them.
The image shows four red Na'vi seemingly taking a blue Na'vi (seen prominently in the first two Avatar films) prisoner with their hands behind their back.
Fans see one of the new Na'vi characters riding something similar to the Ikran/banshees seen in the first two Avatar movies. However, this one has a slightly different build, meaning it could be a new species altogether — one of multiple new animal species being introduced in Avatar 3.
Moving away from the fire-themed imagery, Disney showed a look at a massive body of water, in which multiple aquatic species are seen swimming under Na'vi boats and rafts. The water is also glowing from beneath the surface.
Disney moved from the water to the skies with a look at balloon-shaped flying ships in the Pandoran sky, hovering above a glowing lake as two Na'vi wave to them.
The floating mountains of Pandora come back into the spotlight as one of the balloon ships flies above the clouds between the rock formations.
Additionally, director James Cameron joined the expo via a video message, teasing what to expect from the red Na'vi from the Fire Tribe in Avatar 3.
This will be one of two new tribes fans meet in the threequel, with the Fire people showing "the dark side of the Na'vi." Volcanic eruptions are said to have destroyed them and their culture, leading them to "resent nature:"
"In 'Fire and Ash,' we will meet two more of these tribes: one of them nomadic, who travels through the air; and another terrestrial, who demonstrates the dark side of the Na'vi. They were destroyed by volcanic eruptions, so they resent nature and everything the forest Na'vi preach."
What to Expect From Avatar 3
At the D23 Fan Expo in California, James Cameron teased part of what to expect from Avatar: Fire and Ash, explaining why the movie is using that title.
While he did not reveal much, he explained that the threequel will introduce "new cultures and settings and creatures, and new biomes," pulling back the curtain on Pandora more than ever before. The film is expected to take a deep dive into multiple aspects of Pandoran life that were not explored in the first two films.
Although this concept might be the last fans see of Avatar 3 for some time, anticipation is building quickly for what will be seen come next December.
Star Giovanni Risibi teased that the footage from Avatar 3 he's seen was "just extraordinary," exclusively telling The Direct that the film is "going to be amazing." After the first two films pushed the boundaries of what could be done visually and narratively, these quotes set the bar quite high for the follow-up.
More so than anything, fans are expecting a third massive hit from James Cameron, who continued to set records in 2022 with Avatar: The Way of Water's success. He now boasts three of the top four highest-grossing films in history, with both Avatar outings in the top three and the original film sitting on top of the list.
Now, with so much new material confirmed to be explored in Avatar 3, most anticipate that Cameron will show no signs of slowing down.
Avatar: Fire and Ash will debut in theaters on December 19, 2025.
