Even though Neytiri’s resentment of Spider was restrained in Avatar: The Way of Water, the impending Avatar 3 may take this storyline in a direction that would destroy the epic. With an incredibly straightforward plot, director James Cameron’s immersive science fiction series has been able to devote more time to developing the intricate universe he developed for the Avatar trilogy. In 2009’s Avatar, the human Marine Jake Sully joined the indigenous of Pandora in their fight against human colonization by defecting from the RDA. Avatar: The Way of Water continued this story, narrating how Jake’s family joined forces with another Na’vi clan to oppose the RDA.

That said, Avatar 3’s story might complicate things since it’s pretty clear who the franchise’s heroes and villains are. While this might make it seem like the franchise’s storytelling is excessively simplistic, this approach to plotting secretly benefits the series. With a large number of upcoming Avatar movies on the way, there are plenty of opportunities to expand the universe of the franchise. However, Jake’s decision to leave humanity behind and side with the native Na’vi provides a basis for the rest of the series to build on. Unfortunately, Avatar: The Way of Water’s ending may have already jeopardized this.