Michelle Yeoh's 'Avatar' Role Delayed: Actress Won't Appear Until 'Avatar 4'
Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh's arrival in the *Avatar
franchise has been pushed back, with director James Cameron confirming she will not appear until the fourth instalment, *Avatar 4*.
Initial speculation, fuelled by a photo of Yeoh on set, suggested she would feature in the third film, *Avatar: Fire and Ash*. However, Cameron clarified the situation during an interview with *Entertainment Weekly
at Disney's D23 fan convention in Anaheim, California.
"Michelle Yeoh won't be in *3*. She's in *4
and *5*," Cameron revealed, alongside stars Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña. "So that got a little bit misreported. She will be coming in soon to do her part, which is an interesting, fun character. I mean, we're getting ahead of ourselves now. This whole thing has been planned for years and years. The scripts were all written years ago, through the end of movie *5*. So we've been working on parts of *4* even as we go along, mostly because we've got this young cast. We had to shoot them all while they were still young."
He added, "We love Michelle. She was always a movie star, but she's blown up into a huge, huge phenomenon. I look forward to working there."
Yeoh's involvement in the franchise was first announced in 2019, with Disney confirming her role as Dr. Karina Mogue. A photograph taken on set in 2021 by producer Jon Landau further fuelled the belief that she would appear in *Avatar: Fire and Ash*. However, the caption stated the image was taken "between set-ups while filming *Avatar 3*."
This miscommunication highlights the complex nature of the *Avatar
sequels, with Cameron and Landau shooting the entirety of *Avatar: The Way of Water*, *Avatar: Fire and Ash*, and the first act of *Avatar 4* in New Zealand. This ambitious approach was taken to avoid the young actors ageing out of their roles.
Yeoh, who is currently filming for Universal's *Wicked
and Paramount+'s *Star Trek: Section 31*, confirmed in a 2022 interview that she had shot for several weeks in 2021. "I was so impressed with the work" Cameron did, she enthused. "He's a genius; he's a walking genius. And I really really enjoyed the experience, and I can't wait to go back soon, I hope."
*Avatar: Fire and Ash
is currently scheduled for release on 19th December 2025, followed by *Avatar 4* on 21st December 2029, and *Avatar 5* on 19th December 2031. At D23, Cameron offered a glimpse into the emotional depth of the upcoming third film.
"The characters are so alive, and it feels so real. It's also got very high emotional stakes â more than ever before. Weâre going into really challenging territory for all the characters you know and love."
He added, "The new film is not what you expect, but itâs definitely what you want."
The sequels will continue to explore the diverse biomes of Pandora, with each instalment featuring a distinct Na'vi clan. The first *Avatar
introduced audiences to the jungle-dwelling Omatikaya Clan, while *Avatar: The Way of Water* showcased the water-adept Metkayina.
*Avatar: Fire and Ash
will introduce the Ash People, an aggressive, volcanic race of Na'vi, led by *Game of Thrones* alumna Oona Chaplin as Varang.
"There are good humans, and there are bad humans. It's the same thing on the Na'vi side," Landau previously teased about the Ash People. "Oftentimes, people don't see themselves as bad. What is the root cause of how they evolve into what we perceive as bad? Maybe there are other factors there that we aren't aware of."
