However, despite indications to the contrary, Avatar producer Jon Landau has dismissed rumors that Vin Diesel will star in a future installment of the franchise. During a recent interview with Empire magazine, the frequent James Cameron collaborator stated people misunderstood the situation. In his words, “Vin was a fan. He came in, visited the set one day to see what we were doing and people took that out of context.” The rumors that Diesel will star in an Avatar film began back in 2019 when the Fast and Furious actor posted a video of himself and director James Cameron on the Avatar set. In the video, Diesel stated, “It’s long overdue, there is one person in Hollywood I’ve always wanted to work with and learn from and so, all things come, I guess, to those that wait.” While the actor didn’t explicitly state that he would be joining the Avatar cast, he certainly didn’t try to dispel it. If anything, he fanned the rumors with some of his later comments. In a later interview with MTV, he stated “I love James Cameron and I love the series, and I think it’s safe to say that we will be working together.” He also told Entertainment Tonight that one of the reasons he was doing Avatar was Zoe Saldana who he tagged as his favorite cast member and the closest person to his family. Avatar: The Way of Water is big on family. Given that Diesel’s most recognizable role is as Dominic Toretto in the Fast and Furious franchise, which is also centered on family, one can certainly see the attraction to the actor. Avatar 2 is the first in a series of planned installments to the original film released in 2009. And, according to Landau, the family theme will influence the rest of the installments. However, given Diesel’s comments, one can only wonder whether he was billed to star in the series at some point, or if the face of one of the biggest movie franchises of all time was simply playing pranks on the entertainment industry. While little is known about the plot details of the other Avatar installments, Landau did volunteer that each movie will come to its own conclusion. He also stated, “But they [The Way of Water] do set things up because we get more and more invested in these characters. Where does Kiri go? What is Lo’ak up to? What decisions will Jake and Neytiri have to make? All of those things will continue to drive our story.” Diesel is currently working on Fast X, the penultimate title in the Fast and Furious franchise. The actor recently revealed that the overly-expensive film’s trailer will be released before the end of February. However, before Fast X hits theaters on May 23, he will reprise his role as Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 on May 5. By the way, Cameron stated in a recent interview that Avatar 3 will see Lo’ak narrate in the stead of his father Jake Sully. Avatar: The Way of Water is currently showing in cinemas and the next installment tentatively titled Avatar: The Seed Bearer will premiere on December 20, 2024.
