Sam Worthington is at peace with Avatar ending if James Cameron walks away

Could Fire and Ash be the end of Avatar? That remains an open question.

Two more films are planned, with scripts completed and large sections of the performances already captured. Even so, the future of the saga now rests with James Cameron and the audience.

“Not to be provocative, but in a sense, not everything is in Jim’s hands,” Stephen Lang, who plays Colonel Miles Quaritch, tells The National. “The fans have a lot to say. There’s a life to Avatar that goes beyond us, and even beyond Jim Cameron at this point.”

Cameron is acutely aware of that reality. The Avatar films are among the most expensive and time-consuming productions in the medium's history. Speaking on The Town with Matthew Belloni in November, he framed the decision in blunt terms: “I have no doubt in my mind that this movie will make money. The question is, does it make enough money to justify doing it again?”

That answer will not be clear for months. Early signs, however, suggest the latest film is performing as expected, taking in more than $136 million worldwide on its first day of release.

Cameron, 71, also has other projects he still hopes to make. Of equal consideration is how driven he feels once he's able to rest one again, Sam Worthington, who has played Jake Sully since the 2009 original, explains.

"Jim has a grand plan, but he's only just finished. The needs to reconnect with himself and get a life back before he decides anything,” Worthington says.

And several options are on the table. Cameron has also said he would be open to concluding the Avatar story in novel form if films four and five do not go ahead. Worthington is comfortable with that possibility.

“If we get to keep going on the journey with him, that’s exciting,”