Warning: Contains potential SPOILERS for Avatar: The Way of WaterScreenings of the re-release of Avatar featured three different end-credits clips from Avatar: The Way of Water, offering a better look at the sequel and the relationships between some of its main characters. Directed by James Cameron, the long-awaited film picks up over a decade after its predecessor. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) live together in Pandora alongside their five children, Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), Tuktirey (Trinity Bliss), Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) and adopted human son, Miles Socorro, nicknamed “Spider” (Jack Champion). The family's peace is interrupted when they are forced to leave their home.
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Their predicament leads them to meet the Metkayina, an ocean-based clan of Na'vi. Avatar: The Way of Water is expected to expand the Avatar franchise in a major way. It will explore new concepts, creatures and characters, such as the Metkayina's leaders, Cliff Curtis' Tonowari and Kate Winslet’s Ronal, whom the actress identified (via Variety) as "a pivotal character in the ongoing story." The highly anticipated sequel will also pave the way for the next chapters in the series, Avatar 3 (December 2024), Avatar 4 (December 2026) and Avatar 5 (December 2028).
Avatar has returned to theaters in preparation for The Way of Water’s long-anticipated release. The new version of James Cameron’s 2009 blockbuster is slightly different from its predecessor, given that it’s been remastered in 4K. Avatar’s re-release (which found box-office success) also includes three different end-credits sequences, each of which is attached to different showings of the film. All of them are clips from The Way of Water. While brief, the sequences provide a detailed look at the movie’s advanced visuals and give insight into its story and new characters.
Neytiri And Sully's Daughter Shows Her Swimming Prowess
One of the sequences shows Jake and Neytiri’s Na’vi children swimming with a group of Metkayina members. The scene shows the Metkayina easily navigating underwater for a prolonged period of time while the Sully siblings are unable to hold their breath for long. The Metkayina point out their struggle, stating the children are not good divers. Arguably the biggest takeaway from the scene is the appearance of Kiri, Neytiri and Jake’s adopted Na'vi daughter. Following their swimming session with the Metkayina, the Sully children wonder where Kiri is. The character is then shown exploring the underwater terrain much more easily than her siblings, and marveling at the creatures she comes across. Kiri is a particularly interesting part of the film, as she is portrayed by Sigourney Weaver, who played Doctor Grace Augustine in Avatar.
The scientist was fatally shot by Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) in the film. Jake tried to save Grace by bringing her body and her avatar to the Tree of Souls with the intention to transfer her consciousness into the Na'vi body. Her injuries were ultimately too severe, though, and she died. Footage from Avatar: The Way of Water shown at D23 2022 seemed to suggest that Kiri is the daughter of Sigourney Weaver's Avatar 2 character. The girl was reportedly shown (via /Film) hugging a container holding Grace's Na'vi avatar before saying, "Hi, ma." Alternatively, however, there is the possibility that Kiri is a reincarnated Grace. Before her death, the character told Jake she was with the Na’vi goddess, Eywa, revealing, "I'm with her, Jake. She's real."
Her last words could theoretically point to Grace having somehow reincarnated as Kiri. That is especially plausible given Jake’s apparent connection with Eywa. Prior to the Na’vi’s final stand against humans, Jake asked the deity for her help in battle. Neytiri told him Eywa did not take sides, but she was proven wrong when the deity sent animal reinforcements that ultimately allowed the Na’vi to beat Quaritch (who is also returning for Avatar 2). Given that, it's possible that Eywa, knowing Grace and Jake's strong bond, gave the scientist new life through Kiri, after which Jake, being aware of her ties to his former friend, decided to take care of the child. Though the footage seemed to indicate that Kiri identified Grace as her mother, the fact that the doctor's Na'vi body was not visibly pregnant upon her death could hint at a deeper mystery behind the girl's origin.
Lo'ak Forges A Bond With A Tulkun
The second scene focuses on another one of Jake and Neytiri’s children, Lo'ak. The clip (via Avatar Guy on YouTube) shows Lo'ak being rescued by a whale-like being named Payakan, part of a race of sea creatures known as tulkuns. The creature communicates with Lo'ak and befriends him. The scene reportedly also shifts into a first-person perspective from Payakan's point of view. The Avatar sequel producer Jon Landau stated that the tulkuns are smart animals, perhaps as intelligent as the Na'vi (via Empire): "The idea was to create a creature that was on the scale of Pandora. A tulkun is, like, 300 feet long. They are a sentient species and as intelligent in their own way as the Na'vi are in theirs."
In 2018, a list of rumored subtitles for the Avatar sequels leaked online. They were The Way of Water, The Seed Bearer, The Tulkun Rider and The Quest for Eywa. James Cameron would later reveal that the names were among those in consideration for the films. With The Way of Water being confirmed as the title for the first Avatar sequel, it's plausible that one of the upcoming follow-ups will indeed bear the Tulkun Rider subtitle. As such, the tulkun race could become a major part of the franchise moving forward. Furthermore, as this scene seemingly teases, the creatures' potential future might be connected to the story of Neytiri and Jake's family after Avatar 2.
Tonowari Confronts Lo'ak About His Friendship With Payakan
Avatar: The Way of Water will introduce Tonowari (Cliff Curtis), leader of the Metkayina clan. The third post-credits scene shows him interacting with Lo'ak (via Avatar Guy on YouTube). The clip appears to take place after Lo'ak's first meeting with Payakan. It reveals that the young Na'vi bonded with the animal, which greatly displeases Tonowari. The leader explains to Lo'ak that Payakan murdered someone and was thus expelled from his pack, given that tulkuns are not killers. However, Tonowari is likely misjudging Payakan, as his relationship with Lo'ak is central to The Way of Water. Speaking with Empire (via Avatar Wiki), James Cameron stated, "It's a boy-and-his-dog story, but the dog is 98 feet long and weighs 15 tons."
In the midst of Lo'ak's argument with Tonowari, Jake Sully appears and tells the Na'vi chief that he will take care of the situation with his son. Given Cameron's description of the creature, there is likely a justifiable reason behind Payakan killing. Lo'ak's frowned-upon bond with Payakan seems to be a pivotal emotional anchor in Avatar 2 and could therefore factor into the film's larger narrative. Avatar: The Way of Water will greatly expand the mythology of the series, and as all three of Avatar's end-credits scenes showed, there is a lot to explore in the world of Pandora as the franchise progresses.