Michelle Yeoh Will Join ‘Avatar’ Series in Fourth and Fifth Films, Not in ‘Avatar 3’

Michelle Yeoh will not be appearing in “Avatar 3: Fire and Ash,” according to director James Cameron. Speaking at Disney’s D23 convention, Cameron clarified that Yeoh’s character, scientist Dr. Karina Mogue, is set to debut in “Avatar 4” and “Avatar 5,” not in the upcoming third installment.

Cameron explained that Yeoh will join the series later, stating, “Michelle Yeoh won’t be in 3. She’s in 4 and 5. So that got a little bit misreported.” This follows a 2021 post by the late producer Jon Landau, which featured a photo of Yeoh on the set of “Avatar 3,” leading to some confusion about her involvement in the third film.

Cameron noted that the scripts for the entire “Avatar” series were completed years ago and that the production team has been working on parts of “Avatar 4” concurrently with “Avatar 3” due to the young cast’s age. He expressed enthusiasm about Yeoh’s role, describing it as “an interesting, fun character.”

During the D23 expo on August 9, Cameron, along with stars Zoe Saldaña and Sam Worthington, unveiled the official title for “Avatar 3” and presented concept art. Cameron promised that the film would offer a fresh look at Pandora, featuring new adventures and high emotional stakes. “Avatar 3” is scheduled for release on December 19, 2025, with “Avatar 4” following on December 21, 2029, and “Avatar 5” set for December 19, 2031.