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Avatar: Fire and Ash may be establishing the story for Avatar 5, setting up what is supposedly the franchise's conclusion. The Way of Water introduced the seas of Pandora, introducing audiences to the culture of a new clan of Na'vi. Fire and Ash explores the moon further, revealing a darker side of the Na'vi's world. The upcoming film includes the Mangkwan Clan, also known as the Ash people. Led by Varang, the Mangkwan's home was ravaged by a fire, destroying their hometree and their village. As Varang explains in the trailer, her people cried for help, "but Eywa did not come," leading to their hostile attitude towards the other Na'vi. The Mangkwan give Jake Sully and his family another challenge to face in Avatar 3 as they will have to fight other Na'vi while continuing to fight off invading humans. The combined dangers of humanity and the Ash clan could create problems going past Fire and Ash, setting up what could be the main storyline for Avatar 5. Avatar 3 May Be Setting Up The Franchise's Return To Earth In Avatar 5 2009's Avatar included an extended opening scene on Earth that was cut from the theatrical version. The sequence shows Jake Sully's life on this planet, as he tries to navigate a dying world. Since this scene was cut, Earth is barely seen in the franchise, but there is information that explains why humans are scavenging Pandora for resources. The franchise starts in the 2150s, where the Earth continues to get worse. Animals, such as whales, are going extinct, constant war is being fought over resources, and the climate is destroying various parts of the planet. To find help, humans looked to other worlds, and eventually discovered Pandora. The primary focus of the franchise has been focusing on the Na'vi and their battle with humanity to save their planet. However, there are plans to bring the series back to Earth. In a 2022 interview with Gizmodo, the late producer Jon Landau said Avatar 5 will bring Neytiri to Earth to show her there is some good within humanity. “I wasn’t going to talk about it, but I’ve now subsequently heard that Jim has talked about it a little bit. In movie five there is a section of the story where we go to Earth. And we go to it to open people’s eyes, open Neytiri’s eyes, to what exists on Earth.” While Avatar 5 is still two movies away, Fire and Ash may be laying the groundwork for why Neytiri and Jake have to travel to Earth. The Ash clan are a destructive force, and fire could destroy much of Pandora. If their home is severely damaged by the Mangkwan, it may lead to the Sully's needing a new home. There is also the threat of humans assimilating to Pandora. As the second trailer showed, Spider is somehow able to breathe without an oxygen mask and is able to connect his hair to one of the moon's animals. Jake says "the Na'vi people will be gone" if humans can live on Pandora without a mask. This revelation increases the human threat on their world, which could also lead to the Na'vi being kicked out if the humans win the war. However, there is also the chance that the answer to saving Earth may not be humans ravaging Pandora, but the Na'vi willingly lending their help by going there themselves. Why Returning To Earth Is Necessary For Avatar The only significant glimpse James Cameron has given of Earth in Avatar's future setting is in the cut opening from the 2009 film, and many casual viewers aren't aware of that scene. While much of humanity's actions on Pandora are unjustifiable, returning to the planet could show why humans are so desperate to acquire resources from the moon. Resource scarcity and a dying climate are understandable reasons to search for help, but the films primarily portray humans as evil colonizers. While many of them are, some are there for scientific pursuits, trying to find how they can use materials from Pandora to help humans. As Landau said, returning to Earth is also a worthwhile way to continue Neytiri's story. She has mainly seen the dark, violent side of humanity, and it'd be intriguing to see how she responds to the more positive aspects of Earth. She did fall in love with one, so there has to be some good that humans are capable of. Additionally, Jake and Quaritch also could benefit from going back to their home planet. Jake essentially abandoned his past when he permanently became a Na'vi. Confronting his past may be something he needs to do to fulfill his character arc, exploring how he feels about his humanity after leaving that part of him behind. The Way of Water ended with Quaritch showing signs of redemption after his son saved him, and returning home could further his arc. He has hatred for the Na'vi, but adapted to their world after inhabiting a Na'vi body. He lost the humanity he fought to preserve, and the franchise should show the turmoil he faces with his new life.
