8 Actors Who Need To Appear In James Cameron’s Avatar Sequels

With more Avatar films on the way and new characters to be explored on Pandora, some actors need to appear in the franchise. After a 13-year gap between films, James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water premiered with a phenomenal box office success, expanding the world of the first film to a new region and culture of the Na’vi. With most of the original cast returning, the film also added James Cameron veteran Kate Winslet and The Sopranos star Edie Falco. The Avatar sequels are expected to have an even bigger cast given how each film is set to expand the world of Pandora.

The upcoming Avatar 3is set to explore another new culture of the Na’vi, called the Ash People. Game of Thrones star Oona Chaplin has already been cast as the character Varang, the leader of the Ash People. David Thewlis is also in the cast to play an unnamed Na’vi character. Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh will also be joining as scientist Dr. Karina Mogue. With two more films set to release, the Avatar world will continue to expand with new cast members. From frequent collaborators of James Cameron to actors who famously almost appeared in the first Avatar, there are plenty of candidates to appear in Avatar sequels.

8 Matt Damon

A number of actors were considered when casting the lead role of Jake Sully in Avatar. Matt Damon has spoken many times about having passed on the role, describing it as “the dumbest thing an actor ever did in the history of acting.” The deal would’ve earned him 10% of the film’s box office profits, but Damon had to pass due to a scheduled Bourne film. Matt Damon’s self-deprecating humor regarding the matter has been hilarious, leading to James Cameron suggesting that Damon should have a cameo in a future Avatar project. According to James Cameron, Avatar sequels must include a Matt Damon cameo.

7 Andy Serkis

While Andy Serkis has no direct ties to James Cameron or the Avatar films, he has developed a reputation for his work in motion-capture roles. From Gollum in The Lord of the Rings to Caesar in Planet of the Apes and as the titular character in Peter Jackson’s King Kong, Serkis has contributed motion-capture work to many huge films. With that being said, it’s shocking that Andy Serkis hasn’t even been mentioned in regard to the Avatar franchise, as he’d be perfect to play a Na’vi character, bringing some of his experience with computer-generated characters to the table.

6 Arnold Schwarzenegger

James Cameron famously worked with Arnold Schwarzenegger on The Terminator and Terminator 2 and has been rumored to be appearing in Avatar films for years. In 2013, long before Avatar: The Way of Water would finally release, Arnold Schwarzenneger was rumored to be playing the villain in the film. The rumor initially said that Arnold would be playing a “bad guy human general,” similar to Stephen Lang’s Quaritch in Avatar. Quaritch returning as the villain in Avatar 2 ended up being a great move, showing that being a Na’vi avatar wouldn’t change his human nature. Regardless, a Schwarzenegger cameo in any of the Avatar sequels would be amazing.

5 Michael Biehn

Michael Biehn is one of James Cameron’s most consistent collaborators, having appeared in Aliens, The Terminator, and The Abyss. Biehn was originally meant to play Quaritch in Avatar, but due to Sigourney Weaver also starring in the film, Cameron felt that audiences would associate the film too much with Aliens, and decided to cast Stephen Lang instead. Michael Biehn tends to play protagonists in Cameron’s films, so the surprise of having him as a villain could’ve been a fun choice. Michael Biehn shared that he understood Cameron’s decision, but it would still be great to see the actor have a role later in the franchise.

4 Jamie Lee Curtis

Having worked with James Cameron before on True Lies, Jamie Lee Curtis seems like the perfect choice to play a supporting role or cameo in a future Avatar film. Jamie Lee Curtis recently won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Everything Everywhere All at Once and also has returned to the Halloween franchise. This recent commercial appeal, combined with Cameron’s previous working relationship with her, as well as her recent co-starring with Avatar 3 actress Michelle Yeoh, would make her appearance a fun reunion.

3 Michelle Rodriguez

Michelle Rodriguez already appeared as pilot Trudy Chacon in Avatar, before dying in action in the Assault on the Tree of Souls. However, Avatar: The Way of Water saw Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang also return to the franchise, despite their characters dying in the first film. Plus, it wouldn’t be the first time Rodriguez returned to a franchise after dying, as her character, Letty, in the Fast & Furious movies, came back after dying in the fourth installment. She also came back both in Resident Evil and Machete.

When discussing the prospect of Trudy returning in the Avatar sequels, as other characters were, Rodriguez felt that doing so would have reduced the meaning of Trudy’s sacrifice. She describes Trudy dying “as a martyr,” which had great importance to the saga’s story. While Rodriguez doesn’t want to become known as the actor whose characters keep returning from the dead in every franchise, there is always room for a flashback cameo.

2 Chris Pine

Like Matt Damon, Chris Pine was among the company of actors who could’ve ended up with the role of Jake Sully. While the actor had his big break in 2009 with Star Trek, Chris Pine was relatively unknown in his audition for Avatar, which the actor described as being “pretty bad.” Pine explained that he had a hard time believing in the role, due to the farfetched nature of it, and therefore didn’t put his all into the performance. He describes stopping and leaving mid-way through the audition, knowing he wasn’t right for it. The now A-list Chris Pine could return to Avatar to redeem his poor audition.

1 Edward Norton

Edward Norton declined a role in Avatar: The Way of Water, due to wanting to play a Na’vi. “I’m either a Na’vi or nothing,” the actor explained. Despite the prestige Norton has had in his career, he’s been okay with his face not being in a movie before. In Kingdom of Heaven, Norton plays the masked King Baldwin IV, a role that doesn’t reveal his face in any of his scene-stealing moments. The actor mentioned that he didn’t even want to be credited in the role so that mystery could surround the character. If Norton wants to play a Na’vi in Avatar, surely James Cameron can find the film star a role.