Five Things To Expect From The Avatar Sequels

Okay, let's talk about Avatar. Yes, the blue aliens and those floating mountains. James Cameron is still churning out sequels, and honestly, who can blame him? It’s a visual feast. But as we gear up for more trips to Pandora, what can we really expect? Forget the official trailers for a second. Let’s get down to some fun, slightly unhinged predictions. These are my personal, totally scientific (not really) guesses.

First off, expect more gorgeous scenery. Like, aggressively gorgeous. I mean, we're talking about a world where the plants glow at night and waterfalls probably whisper sweet nothings. If the first movie made your jaw drop, the sequels will probably try to detach it with pure visual splendor. They'll invent new colors we didn't even know existed. Picture this: you’ll be watching on your 4K TV, and you’ll start questioning if your living room is actually a little bit drab. My houseplants are already feeling insecure. Seriously, the CGI will be so good, you might accidentally try to touch a digital flower on your screen. Don't worry, it happens to the best of us.

Secondly, prepare for an expansion of the Na'vi family tree. We met Jake and Neytiri’s kids, and they were… well, they were there. But I have a hunch that in the upcoming movies, we’re going to meet a lot more relatives. Uncles, aunts, possibly a distant cousin who’s really into weaving. Maybe even a wise old grandparent figure who speaks in riddles and constantly reminds everyone to respect Eywa. I’m picturing a whole new generation of little blue adventurers. And you know what that means. More running, more jumping, more probably falling out of trees and needing to be rescued by their incredibly patient parents. It’s going to be like a giant, bioluminescent Disney Channel show.

My third prediction is a bit more… specific. Expect more water. We already dipped our toes (or should I say, fins?) into the aquatic side of Pandora with The Way of Water. So, I’m thinking the next one might be called The Way of the Deep Ocean or The Way of the Really Big Whale. They’ll probably introduce a whole new set of water-dwelling Na'vi, complete with impressive gills and maybe even built-in scuba gear. These new characters will be even more graceful than the forest dwellers. They’ll swim with creatures that make the Tulkun look like tiny goldfish. We’ll see underwater cities that make Atlantis look like a leaky bathtub. And, of course, there will be a dramatic chase scene involving a kraken-like monster. Because, why not?

Remember those grumpy RDA fellas? They’re definitely coming back.

Speaking of antagonists, my fourth expectation is that the bad guys will be back, and probably worse. Remember those grumpy RDA fellas? They’re definitely coming back. They’re not the type to just pack up their mining equipment and say, "Oops, sorry about that, planet." They’ll have new, shinier weapons. Maybe even some mechs that look suspiciously like giant blue angry robots. Colonel Quaritch, or whatever his reanimated blue brain is calling himself now, will be back with a vengeance. He’ll be even more determined to make Pandora his personal punching bag. We’ll probably see him piloting a giant, spaceship-shaped bulldozer. It’s the villain equivalent of saying, "I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed… and I’m going to make you regret that disappointment."

And finally, my fifth and perhaps most important prediction: expect us, the audience, to feel deeply emotionally invested. Even if you went into the first Avatar thinking, "It's just blue people," by the end, you were probably rooting for them. The sequels will do it again. They’ll hit you with those poignant moments. There will be sacrifices. There will be triumphant victories. You’ll probably cry a little when a beloved character, maybe a new little alien kid with big, sad eyes, gets into trouble. And when Jake Sully does that thing where he dramatically stares into the distance with a determined glint in his eye, you’ll feel it. You’ll feel the weight of Pandora on his broad, blue shoulders. We’ll all be collectively sighing and saying, "Go get ‘em, Jake!" It's a cinematic superpower, really. To make us care about aliens and their trees. And I, for one, am ready for it.