For a good reason, Avatar is one of the highest-grossing films of all time. It was revolutionary from a visual perspective, employing a brilliant mix of CGI and practical effects that stunned the senses. The film also featured an intriguing storyline that tackled universally relevant topics such as colonialism and forbidden love. The luscious jungle planet Pandora, which has nearly as much bloodthirsty fauna as it has breathtaking landmarks, was the setting for a battle between spiritually-inclined natives and a capitalistic invading force.

There has been a lot of speculation as to whether or not the Avatar franchise would continue after the initial film's success. Director James Cameron, who is an incredibly ambitious filmmaker, wants to expand the series to five movies. For a long time, this seemed unlikely, but after over a decade of waiting, the first Avatar sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, is set to be released in short order. The film's trailer garnered significant attention, and there is reason to believe that the long-awaited sequel will benefit from the love audiences had for the original movie.

Here are the characters fans are most excited to see a return in Avatar 2.

The Former Marine Who Went Native, Jake Sully avatar-2-jake

The main character in the Avatar franchise is Jake Sully (Sam Worthington). In the first film, the character came to the remote planet of Pandora when his twin brother, a talented scientist in the Avatar program, was killed. Given the fact that the two shared a similar genetic code, he was able to inhabit the Na'vi body that was created for his brother.

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However, Sully quickly realizes that his employers, the Resource Development Administration, aren't what they appear to be, and he chooses to join the Na'vi in their fight to save Pandora. He also falls in love with a Na'vi princess named Neytiri, and in Avatar: The Way of Water, it appears that the two have had a family, which includes three Na'vi children and an adopted human child. Through a magical process, Sully permanently inhabits his Na'vi Avatar form at the end of the first film. It will be fascinating to see how he has continued to adapt to his newfound culture and family.

Zoe Saldaña as the Warrior Princess Neytiri Zoe Saldana as Neytiri in Avatar

Zoe Saldaña plays Neytiri in the original Avatar film. Initially frustrated with Sully for his human stubbornness, she slowly falls for the brave Marine. However, the character is so much more than a simple love interest. She is one of the most fearsome Na'vi warriors in the film and is incredibly effective with a bow and arrow. Additionally, she is the one responsible for teaching Jake Sully everything he knows about Na'vi culture. This proved effective when the Marine rallied the Pandoran tribes for the climactic final battle against their colonizers.

Apparently, preparing to portray Princess Neytiri again was not an easy process for Saldaña. The role requires a lot of physicalities, as it relies heavily on motion capture technology. Nevertheless, Zoe Saldaña is more than up to the task, and moviegoers everywhere are undoubtedly excited to see her return as the beloved character.

The Colonizing Colonel Miles Quaritch Avatar_ The Way of Water

The primary antagonist in the first Avatar film is Stephen Lang's Colonel Miles Quaritch. He leads the human army, which is responsible for defending the environmentally catastrophic actions of the Resource Development Administration in their fight against the Na'vi. In a climactic final battle, which sees Quaritch in a mech suit that (for whatever reason) comes equipped with a massive holstered knife, he is pierced through the chest by one of Neytiri's arrows.

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Despite his apparent demise, promotional materials for Avatar: The Way of Water have revealed that the Colonel will be returning. In all likelihood, he'll be back with a vengeance. In trailers for the upcoming film, Quaritch was seen creeping through the Pandoran jungle in a Na'vi body, which likely means that human scientists were able to save his life by inserting his consciousness into an Avatar. Though the Colonel was undeniably the most unlikeable character in the first film, it will be interesting to see how he goes about exacting his revenge against the people of Pandora.

It would be incredibly difficult for Avatar: The Way of Water to prosper at the box office to the same degree as its predecessor. However, given that Avatar brought in almost three billion dollars at the box office, the sequel only needs to be a fraction as successful as the original for it to be a success.

Regardless, James Cameron seems steadfast in his commitment to making several subsequent films in the franchise, so moviegoers will be able to see their favorite characters for years to come.