Avatar 2 is finally set to be released in December 2022, but there’s one major obstacle, in addition to some smaller ones, that could keep it from being the best sci-fi film of the year. With the history and prestige behind the Avatar franchise, it’d be easy to think that Avatar 2 could keep that going upon its release. Thanks to a variety of factors, though, including another sci-fi movie released in 2022, that might not be so easy.
Avatar 2 is the upcoming, long-awaited sequel to James Cameron’s Avatar, and is set to revolve around Jake Sully and Neytiri exploring Pandora after they’re forced to leave their home. The original Avatar was a critical and financial success to the point that it not only became the highest-grossing film of all time, but even managed to reclaim the title with a re-release after being briefly dethroned by Avengers: Endgame. With all of that taken into account, it’s easy enough to imagine that Avatar 2, which is also being helmed by Cameron, will also reach the same degree of critical success.
There’s one major obstacle that can get in the way of Avatar 2’s potential claim to fame, however, and that’s Everything Everywhere All At Once. Not only does Everything Everywhere All At Once explore the concept of the multiverse in an incredibly unique and innovative way, but it uses that as a means of both exploring the personalities and philosophies of its main characters and making statements on the meaning, or lack thereof, of life. The film has been met with near-universal acclaim from fans and critics alike, so it sets a high bar for Avatar 2 in regards to what a sci-fi film is capable of, especially when a common criticism of the original Avatar was that its story was derivative of other movies.
Something that could also hurt Avatar 2 is how long it’s taken for the franchise to move forward. Avatar was first released in 2009, so 2022’s Avatar 2 taking thirteen years to come out after numerous delays could diminish a lot of anticipation for it, and the fact that three more films are supposed to follow it over the next six years invites a degree of investment that people might not want to give. By comparison, a one-and-done film like Everything Everywhere All At Once can come across as much more appealing because unlike Avatar 2, discussion won’t be bogged down by how the movie leads into a sequel.
Whether or not Avatar 2 will turn a profit isn’t much of a question, as it’s hard to imagine it not performing well, but whether or not it can leave the same mark that its predecessor did invites more of a debate for a variety of reasons. Not only does the long amount of time between Avatar and Avatar 2 have the potential to negatively affect perception, but with how creative and well-crafted Everything Everywhere All At Once was, it’s that much harder for Avatar 2 to establish itself as the best sci-fi film of the year. All of that could easily change upon the film’s actual release, but it’s still an imposing challenge, nonetheless.
