James Cameron says a major Avatar 3 casting was "misreported", and they actually won't appear in the series for another five years

(Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

Director James Cameron has debunked rumors that Michelle Yeoh, who joined the Avatar franchise five years ago, would appear in upcoming threequel Fire and Ash.

"Michelle Yeoh won't be in 3. She's in 4 and 5," Cameron told Entertainment Weekly . "So that got a little bit misreported. She will be coming in soon to do her part, which is an interesting, fun character."

On the source of the confusion, Cameron explained, "We've been working on parts of 4 even as we go along, mostly because we've got this young cast. We had to shoot them all while they were still young.

So, those hoping to see Yeoh mix it up with the likes of Sam Worthington's Sully will have to wait until Avatar 4 on December 21, 2029, and Avatar 5 on December 19, 2031.

In the interim, of course, is Avatar 3 – now officially retitled Avatar: Fire and Ash.

At D23, Cameron unveiled concept art from the film, which included a first look at the Ash Na'vi.

"You’ll see a lot more Pandora that you never saw before," Cameron teased. "It’s an insane adventure and a feast for the eyes, but it’s also got very high emotional stakes, more than ever before…We’re going into really challenging territory for all the characters you know and love."

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.