While it is known that Academy Award-winning director James Cameron creates wonders through his films, the Avatar films ought to be his greatest creations. First released in 2009, Avatar was an immediate success, topping charts with a $2.749 billion global collection before its re-releases in 2021 and 2022. It also earned the status of the highest-grossing film of all time until 2019.
We can go on about 2009’s Avatar’s success, planned strategically to regain the top position later on. However, 13 years later James Cameron dropped a sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water and it took film fans by storm. As expected, the sequel was also a success grossing at $2.32 billion, per Box Office Mojo. Speaking of the cast, Cameron is firm on keeping the original cast along with additions here and there. The director is planning to expand the upcoming Avatar films to a bigger cast.
With additions like Kate Winslet and Edie Falco, who are frequent James Cameron stars, we can expect many such iconic actors to get featured in the billion-dollar franchise. Here are 8 stars James Cameron must cast in Avatar 3:
Andy Serkis
Being cast in a film highly dependent on CGI would not be a surprise for Andy Serkis if he got featured in Avatar 3. The English actor has significant experience in the motion-capture film industry, from his works in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and MCU’s Black Panther, the 59-year-old actor would be a great add to the cast.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
One of his earliest blockbusters, James Cameron has worked with action star Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator films. Thus, it was expected that probably The Austrian Oak could get in at least a cameo in one of the Avatar sequels, if not its third installment. As per sources, Schwarzenegger was in talks of being featured in the movie as the human villain of the Na’vi world, in 2013. However, we never got to witness his action in the franchise, but there’s still hope.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Cameron likes to cast stars he has previously worked with. As a result, Titanic’s Kate Winslet was cast in the recent Avatar sequel. Two decades after Titanic, Winslet was re-cast in a James Cameron film as Ronal, a tribal leader of the Metkayina clan of Na’vi. This sparked discussions on Leonardo DiCaprio also getting a part in the Avatar films. With Avatar 3 in post-production, Cameron revealed in an interview with IMDb that even if a place could be carved out for DiCaprio, the actor is probably not interested. As much as fans would love to see a little Titanic reunion on the sets of Avatar, chances are low that he might get cast.
Ed Harris
While many James Cameron veterans like Sigourney Weaver from Aliens and Winslet got a part in Avatar 3, there is still room for more. Ed Harris’s performance in The Abyss is a career highlight. Playing Virgil Bud Brigman, Harris showed exceptional commitment to the role portraying the character’s deep emotions with great accuracy. He also did underwater training among other challenges of the role. Harris’s portrayal in The Abyss is among the best moments of Cameron-led films. Therefore, casting him to be a part of the Na’Vi world would be an ingenuine effort.
Also read: James Cameron Hints That Avatar 4 Might Get Delayed Despite a Confirmed Release Date from Disney
Jamie Lee Curtis
A great actress and also a James Cameron veteran, it is surprising that Jamie Lee Curtis was not cast even for a cameo in The Way of the Water. She previously worked with Cameron in True Lies alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, smashing her action-centric role. Curtis also recently won an Academy Award for her eccentric portrayal in Everything Everywhere All At Once. Hence, it is only likely that a cameo in Avatar 3, if not a supporting role would add to Cameron’s benefit.
Sylvester Stallone
The action star has given Cameron another of his greatest hits with Rambo: First Blood Part II, grossing $150 million globally in 1985, per Box Office Mojo. Since Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sigourney Weaver made it to the list, we mustn’t forget Sylvester Stallone could also be a great addition to the Avatar sequels. His superior action finesse could be put to use in SecOps, to protect the civilians from the dangers of Pandora.
Morgan Freeman
Even though fans haven’t witnessed Morgan Freeman in any of the James Cameron movies, the director could consider him in the upcoming Avatar sequels. An icon in the film industry, the 86-year-old versatile actor could make a great leader for any of the Na’vi tribal clans. Particularly known for his deep voice, and distinctive portrayals throughout genres, Freeman has the unique ability to completely delve into characters. Given the environmentalist angle of Avatar films, Freeman’s presence could be valuable.
Michael Biehn
Michael Biehn has been persistently cast in James Cameron movies. From The Aliens to The Abyss, he remains an expected face in the director’s projects. However, there has not been even a cameo by Biehn in any of the Avatar movies. The actor was considered for playing Quaritch in 2009’s Avatar but Cameron ideated that it would urge fans to relate it with Aliens. While the cast for Avatar 3 is decided, and the movie has gone to post-production, sequels are still a hope.
Chris Pine
The actor had auditioned for the role of Jake Sully now portrayed by Sam Worthington. However, Chris Pine couldn’t wrap his head around the integrity of the characters and the movie’s theme, thus, putting up a poor audition. Pine earned significant recognition in 2009’s Star Trek, the same year Avatar was released. As a result, he was relatively unknown back then and could not make it into the film. Well, he has still got a chance to complete his audience now.
