Avatar 2's Na'vi War Tease Avoids A Sequel Villain Problem
Not much is known about Avatar: The Way of Water yet, but it can already be said that the film is avoiding a potential sequel issue regarding its villains. As much as Avatar stood out for its groundbreaking moviemaking techniques that resulted in a singular cinematic experience, the 2009 film also had an interesting premise. The story of how humans had depleted their own planet's resources and now turned to a strange world in search of more offered many reflections, and the war between the colonists and the Na'vi showed how destructive human greed could be.
While Avatar did not leave many loose ends, the story of Pandora is far from over. With Avatar 2 set to release on December 16, 2022, and three more Avatar sequels in the works, it is safe to say that James Cameron still has plenty of stories to tell about that world. After 13 years in the making and the promise of once again showing a leap in technology, Avatar: The Way of Water is by far one of the most anticipated films of the last few years. However, more than just a cinematic experience, the film will also have to deliver a solid story that makes everything else worthwhile.
One of the more recent criticisms leveled at Avatar is that its story was too simple and that, in the end, it all boiled down to a battle between the humans and the Na'vi. The possibility that Avatar 2 would simply restart the humanity vs. Pandora conflict and tell the same story all over again was worrying, but new Avatar 2 footage shown at CinemaCon 2022 indicates that this will not be the case. While a conflict with humans could still be on the table, Avatar: The Way of Water will show internal disputes within the Na'vi. In the released footage, it is possible to see different clans warring against each other, some carrying the well-known bow and arrows, others carrying guns. By showing those internal conflicts within Pandora that do not necessarily involve humans, Avatar 2 can offer a much deeper look into that world's culture and avoid a huge sequel problem: repeating the same conflicts of the first film.
While the first Avatar was exactly about learning the culture of Pandora and its native Na'vi, the movie made sure to let the audiences know that there was still much of that world to be explored. The moment when Jake Sully, now Toruk Makto, calls for the help of different Pandora clans is an example of that. Avatar: The Way of Water can expand on that idea and show how distinct those different cultures within the Na'vi are before they eventually have to band together once again.
There is a certain skepticism involved in how audiences perceive Avatar 2 after so much time, and one of the ways the movie can prove that skepticism wrong is by not repeating the same story and villain beats from the first Avatar. A lot has been said about what James Cameron has in store for the Avatar sequels in terms of technology, but the scope of those films must mean that an equal amount of work has been put into the story. It remains to be seen what the extent of the Na'vi civil wars will be and if that could be Avatar: The Way of Water's main storyline.