5 Directors Who Could Take Over The Avatar Franchise From James Cameron

James Cameron is going to continue making his "Avatar" movies until humanity actually perfects interstellar travel and finds our own Pandora to ruthlessly colonize and exploit. Probably. Unless he doesn't. That's the thing about the famous filmmaker whom fans (or is it just me?) endearingly refer to as "Big Jim" or "Jimmy C" — just when we think we've figured him out, he does something completely unexpected next. Developing an atomic bomb movie told from the Japanese perspective as a response to Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer"? Go with God. Sharing a co-director credit with Billie Eilish on her upcoming concert movie? Sure, why not!

All of this is to say that, following the predictable success of "Fire & Ash," not a single person would be surprised to see Cameron once again jump behind the camera on "Avatar 4" ... but what if he doesn't? The writer/director has previously gone on record with the idea of possibly not directing the fourth and fifth movies to allow someone else to take the reins. As difficult as that is to imagine, considering how every frame of this franchise feels like the product of one man's endless fascinations, stranger things have definitely happened before. Would we rather have this blockbuster epic remain in the hands of the visionary who conjured it up in the first place? Of course. But as we await word on the future of the sci-fi series, perhaps it's worth considering the potential of an "Avatar" CE (Cameron Era) and "Avatar" ACE (After Cameron Era).

So, in this hypothetical scenario, who might be the one to take over? We've compiled a mix of the most logical candidates, dream scenarios, and maybe a dark horse or two. Never bet against Cameron, as the refrain goes, but don't doubt our magic 8 ball, either.

There are those who decide to take fate in their own hands, and then there's everyone else. Consider James Wan to be very much in the former category, especially in light of his most recent comments. While promoting the upcoming Peacock series "The Copenhagen Test," which he executive produced, the acclaimed horror director spoke to ScreenRant and revealed that there's one major piece of IP that he's interested in getting his hands on: "I have not done 'Avatar.' Yeah, if you could put a good one for me with James Cameron, I'd love to take a crack at that."

While that's easy for anyone to say, this particular choice actually makes sense on multiple levels. Wan already has considerable blockbuster experience under his belt, having played a huge role in jumpstarting franchises like "Saw," "Insidious," and "The Conjuring." Even his two outings with DC's "Aquaman" only further boost his cred — after all, if there's to be a series of job interviews worldwide to settle on a successor to the "Avatar" throne, how many other directors can boast ocean-based and environmentally-concerned movies on their résumé like Wan? Better yet, his horror bona fides are almost certain to appeal to a genre giant like Cameron. Films like "Terminator" and "The Abyss" (and, dare I say it, "Piranha II: The Spawning") aren't all that far removed from Wan's sensibilities. You could do a lot worse than someone who knows how to handle stories told on the largest scale, deliver jaw-dropping action, and is cut from a similar cloth as Cameron himself.

If anyone has earned the right to throw himself into the "Avatar" ring, Wan ought to be at the top of the list.

In an ideal world, a storyteller as talented and passionate as Chloé Zhao would be encouraged to keep making heartfelt movies like the shattering new film "Hamnet" or "The Rider" (or following her nerdy interests like manga) — all without needing to care a whit about dipping her toes in IP-driven productions. But that's not the world we live in, for better or worse, which goes a long way towards explaining her involvement with the Marvel Cinematic Universe entry "Eternals" in 2021. Granted, some may consider that divisive film a net negative in terms of whether she could make the even larger leap to an "Avatar"-level blockbuster. After all, this is the same director who once spoke of her big-budget experience in less-than-flattering terms:

"'Eternals' had, like, an unlimited amount of money and resources. And here [with 'Hamnet'], we have one street corner that we can afford to [stand in for] Stratford [...] 'Eternals' didn't have a lot of limitations, and that is actually quite dangerous."

So how could the boundless, anything-is-possible freedom of "Avatar" possibly end well? For one thing, being aware of that potential pitfall might be half the battle already. For another, there's no denying that Zhao's interests certainly align well with Cameron's — look no further than the sheer grace and empathy she affords to marginalized characters in "Nomadland," or her ability to wring every ounce of emotion from audiences in "Hamnet" (which, it should be noted, also takes on an almost spiritual relationship between humans and nature). Sincerity and earnestness are practically the central tenets of "Avatar." If she's up for it, Zhao would be a natural inheritor of Cameron's vision.

If there's one maxim this industry abides by, it's this: The safest bet is usually the correct one. Should this actually come to pass and James Cameron relinquishes control of his baby to someone else, many would consider it a fait accompli that Robert Rodriguez is next in line. The Texas-based filmmaker has a prolific body of work to his credit, having worked with the likes of Quentin Tarantino, Frank Miller, and even Cameron himself numerous times over the years. His experience on blockbuster titles such as "Sin City," "The Mandalorian" and "The Book of Boba Fett," and even the "Spy Kids" movies all end up as points in his favor. And, perhaps most relevant for our purposes here, Rodriguez stepping in on "Alita: Battle Angel" after Cameron begrudgingly set it aside couldn't possibly feel more like a trial run to doing the same thing on "Avatar."

Is this the sexiest or most outside-the-box outcome? Probably not. Does this material feel like a perfect match for Rodriguez's particular sensibilities as a filmmaker? Debatable. But could he guide a massive production like this from start to finish with minimal headaches? You bet. That's all the more reason to keep this in the back of our minds. Connections and comfort and baseline competency go a long way in this business, and it's easy to picture Disney CEO Bob Iger, hesitant in the wake of Cameron's departure, wanting to keep their cash cow going with the easiest option out there — not to mention one who'd come with Cameron's direct blessing.

Look, is this probably the obvious pick? Yes. Does that only make us more convinced that this is the right pick? Also yes. The amount of Guillermo del Toro projects that have been doomed to never see the light of day could fill up an entire Wikipedia page (in fact, they have), and there's a very good reason for that. The quirky Mexican auteur has made a career out of aiming high, taking the most ambitious swings, and harboring a deep and abiding love for the most unexpected of subjects. Too often, that reach has exceeded the grasp of gun-shy studio executives and left us yearning to see what might've been. But it's about time to reverse that trend. Fantasy monsters, ghosts, and demonic superheroes are just a taste of his most eclectic interests ... so why not make this dream come true and add the towering extraterrestrial Na'vi of Pandora to his oeuvre?

Honestly, it makes too much sense to ignore. He's besties with James Cameron dating back decades (they're even in a secret film club together), meaning that Cameron has likely confided in del Toro — or at least brainstormed his ideas for "Avatar" moving forward. GDT has all the experience in the world with cutting-edge visual effects and pushing boundaries to their limits, from "Hellboy" to "Pacific Rim" to his near-miss with "The Hobbit" (which still keeps us awake at night). Coming off a series of blank-check movies like "The Shape of Water," "Nightmare Alley," "Pinocchio," and "Frankenstein," a relatively safe bet like "Avatar 4" could be just what he needs. And, come on, is there anyone else who could outcompete Cameron's love of nonhumans and dial up the horniness for us sickos out there? We think not.

Make this happen, film gods!

You better believe we saved our least conventional pick for last. Of all the filmmakers mentioned thus far, Gore Verbinski is the only one who's gone almost a full decade without directing a feature — a streak he's finally breaking with the upcoming festival hit "Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die." Of the last three movies he's released, one was a family-friendly animated film (2011's "Rango"), one was one of the biggest flops in studio history ("The Lone Ranger"), and the last was a little-seen horror gem that appeared to put him in director's jail for the better part of 10 years (the vastly overlooked and underrated "A Cure for Wellness"). That's not exactly the track record a studio would hope for from someone attempting to fill the shoes of James freaking Cameron, but sometimes one needs to throw logic out the door and listen to pure gut instinct for a change.

Just take a look at Verbinski's unequivocal strengths as a director. He broke through back in 2002 with "The Ring," a masterpiece of precision-level filmmaking that holds up to this day. "Rango" put him in exceedingly rare territory as a filmmaker, proving that he can handle both live-action elements and the demands of animation without compromising one iota. (Lest we forget, "Avatar" can basically be categorized as an animated, wholly VFX film franchise.) And, last but not least, his groundbreaking work on the "Pirates of the Caribbean" trilogy speaks for itself. Outside of perhaps Gareth Edwards (himself a VFX artist) and Cameron, few could hope to compete with Verbinski's level of knowledge and understanding when it comes to the magic of technology.

Should "Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die" mark a long-awaited comeback, Verbinski is our dark horse candidate for "Avatar 4."