On April 20, 2010, Cameron confirmed that Avatar 2 will take place in Pandora’s oceans and that Avatar 3 will explore more of the Alpha Centauri System. As the scripts for all four sequels were finished in 2015, that plot element likely changed; in a February 2018 interview with Collider, Jon Landau confirmed that the Avatar sequels would remain on Pandora and focus more on exploring its environments and cultures. Before it was decided to divide the script of the sequel to Avatar into two movies, the first act of that first script dealt with reiterating the first movie, the 15 years between the first and second movie’s story, launching a new conflict and introducing new characters. Some elements of this former first act have been moved over to the first act of the third film. It is intended that the plot be able to stand alone, though it will form part of a meta-narrative that extends from Avatar 2 to 5. Underwater elements will be a major aspect of Avatar 2 and 3, though they will also have some role in Avatar 4 and 5.
In an interview published by the French newspaper “20minutes” on December 10, 2022, James Cameron mentions that fire will play a role in Avatar 3, represented by “Ash People”, an aggressive, volcanic clan that will be led by a female Na’vi known as Varang. The film will show the Na’vi in a different light than the previous installments, in which humans are depicted negatively and the Na’vi appear in a very positive light. Avatar 3 will show the opposite. The film will also explore new worlds and continue the story of the main characters. James Cameron has mentioned the story will focus on not just one, but two new cultures. While attending the Critics Choice Awards on January 15, 2023, James Cameron stated that the film will feature two completely new cultures, including the previously mentioned “Ash People”. He added “Fire has a symbolic purpose in the film and there’s a culture that is specifically around that concept.” According to Jack Champion, the story will take an unpredictable and shocking “hard left turn.” Also, Spider will have more inner turmoil and conflict in Avatar. James Cameron has hinted that the story will be focused on Lo’ak; Lo’ak has been confirmed as the film’s narrator. Payakan and Mick Scoresby will return. The film will continue to explore the relationship between Payakan and Lo’ak.