35 Photos Of Avatar: The Way Of Water Cast In Costume Vs. IRL

James Cameron’s long-awaited sequel to his 2009 film Avatar is finally here. The film broke records during its release and was lauded for its special effects. The sequel is already earning similar acclaim.

Cameron detailed the updates in CGI filming to Collider, noting that the cast wore motion capture suits to transform into character.

Zoe Saldana is one of the most successful actors of her generation with roles in blockbusters like Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and indie darlings like Netflix’s From Scratch.

Saldana originated the role of Neytiri, a Pandora native who saves and falls in love with protagonist Jake Sully, in the first Avatar film. She reprises the role in The Way Of Water, which picks up 10 years after the events of the Avatar.

Sam Worthington rose to fame from his starring role as Jake Sully in Avatar and quickly followed that up with turns in Terminator Salvation and Clash of the Titans.

Worthington reprises his role in Avatar 2. Jake is a former marine turned Na’vi, and is now chief of the Omaticaya clan on Pandora.

An iconic American actor, Sigourney Weaver is no stranger to franchises. She starred in Alien and Ghostbusters earlier in her career before joining the Avatar universe.

Weaver was in the first film but plays an entirely different character in the sequel: her character Dr. Grace Augustine dies in the first film and Weaver will now play Kiri, Jake and Neytiri's adopted teenage daughter.

Academy Award winner Kate Winslet is one of the new faces to join the franchise.

Winslet plays Ronal, a free diver and wife of Tonowari, the chief leader of the reef people clan of Metkayina. When she found out Ronal would be pregnant in the film, she thought, “‘My god, that is just so cool.’”

You may recognize Edie Falco from her iconic performances as Carmela on The Sopranos or as Jackie Peyton on Nurse Jackie.

In Avatar: The Way of Water, Falco plays antagonist General Frances Ardmore.

Stephen Lang is an actor, playwright, and producer whose career began onstage in the 1980s. He appeared in films like Public Enemies, Conan the Barbarian, and The Girl on the Train.

Lang returns as Colonel Miles Quaritch. Though Quaritch dies at the end of Avatar, he is resurrected by the RDA as a Recombinant to seek revenge on Jake in the sequel.

A New Zealand native, Cliff Curtis appeared in Training Day and Whale Rider before enjoying a stint on Fear the Walking Dead.

Curtis is Tonowari in The Way of Water, who leads the Metkayina clan and is married to Ronal (played by Winslet).

Joel David Moore is known as a character actor who has appeared in wide-ranging films like Dodgeball and Hatchet, as well as a stint on the TV show Bones.

Moore reprises his role of Dr. Norm Spellman, a former member of the Avatar Program who sided with the Na'vi at the end of the first film.

With acting credits on shows like The X-Files, ER, and The Shield, it’s likely you’ve seen CCH Pounder’s work in some capacity.

Pounder plays Mo'at — Neytiri’s mother and the Omaticaya's spiritual leader — in the sequel.

A relatively new actor, Jamie Flatters can be seen in the star-studded Netflix film The School for Good and Evil earlier in 2022.

In the Avatar sequel, Flatters is Neteyam, Jake and Neytiri's first son and oldest child.

Britain Dalton fell into acting accidentally: he was spotted by a Chapman student director and was asked to audition for a film. The rest, as they say, is history — Dalton has had roles in Goliath and Ready Player One prior to Avatar.

Dalton also plays one of Jake and Neytiri’s children, appearing here as Lo'ak, the couple’s second son.

Trinity Jo-Li Bliss starred in the HBO Max show The Garcias and makes her film debut in The Way of Water. She is signed on to star in the planned sequels.

Bliss rounds out Jake and Neytiri’s biological children as the youngest, eight-year-old Tuktirey (“Tuk”).

Jack Champion began his acting career in 2015, and Avatar is his first major role.

In The Way of Water, Champion plays Miles “Spider” Socorro, a teenager born at the human base on Pandora known as Hell's Gate who was later adopted by Jake and Neytiri.

Bailey Bass starred in the word-of-mouth AMC hit Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire earlier in 2022. She’ll appear in all of the planned Avatar sequels.

Bass plays Ronal and Tonowari’s daughter Tsireya (“Reya”), a graceful and strong free diver.

Prior to being cast in the Avatar franchise, Filip Geljo was a series regular on Odd Squad.

Geljo is Tonowari and Ronal's son Aonung, a male hunter and free diver of the Metkayina.

Duane Evans Jr. is a Maori actor who has been acting since age three, primarily in New Zealand films and series.

He plays Rotxo, a young male hunter and free-diver of the Metkayina in Cameron’s film.

Avatar: The Way Of Water is now in theaters.