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2022 - 12 - 15

Post cover — Image courtesy of "Variety"

James Cameron: 'Avatar 2' Pregnant Warrior Advances Female ... (Variety)

James Cameron says pregnant warriors in "Avatar 2" advance female empowerment on screen.

“Avatar: The Way of Water” opens in theaters nationwide Dec. The things that really ground us and give us power, love, and a purpose? Speaking to Robert Rodriguez as part of [Variety’s “Directors on Directors” series,](https://wp.me/pc8uak-1lBRhc) Cameron spoke about the female empowerment in his long-awaited “Avatar” sequel. [James Cameron](https://variety.com/t/james-cameron/)’s “ [Avatar: The Way of Water](https://variety.com/t/avatar-the-way-of-water/)” is jam-packed with extraordinary visuals that moviegoers have never seen before on the big screen. And I thought, ‘Well, if you’re really going to go all the way down the rabbit hole of female empowerment, let’s have a female warrior who’s six months pregnant in battle.'” And then you have one of the characters go into battle pregnant.

James Cameron: 'Avatar 2' Does Female Empowerment Better than ... (IndieWire)

From “Aliens” to “Terminator 2,” James Cameron has no shortage of badass female action heroes in his films. And according to the director, Zoe Saldana's ...

Cameron called this depiction of a pregnant woman “the last bastion” of female roles that aren’t seen in movies. During the conversation, Rodriguez asked Cameron about the decision for Ronal to be pregnant during the events depicted in the film. [James Cameron](https://www.indiewire.com/t/james-cameron/) has no shortage of badass female action heroes in his films.

James Cameron Says Avatar 2's Female Empowerment Bests MCU ... (Screen Rant)

Avatar: The Way of Water director James Cameron says that his use of female empowerment in the film beats out feminist portrayals in the MCU and DCU.

Aside from how she embodies female empowerment, Neytiri differentiates from female Marvel and DC heroes because of her status as a survivor instead of a hero. [Variety](https://variety.com/2022/film/news/james-cameron-avatar-2-pregnant-warrior-wonder-woman-1235459604/), Cameron claimed that Neytiri's role as a pregnant hunter and warrior in Avatar: The Way of Water bests the female empowerment found in characters from the MCU and the DCU. Not only will Neytiri be dealing with her new role as a mother in Avatar: The Way of Water, but she will also be pregnant while acting as a protector for her people. Commentating on the lack of pregnant female superheroes in the MCU and DCU, Cameron appears to want more people in charge of major franchises to find creative ways to embody female empowerment as he has with Neytiri. While Cameron has kept the intricate details of Avatar: The Way of Water under wraps - claiming no one will be able to guess the direction of the film based on its promotional material - it appears Neytiri's motherhood will be an influential factor to her character arc in the second film. While acknowledging the importance of superheroes like Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel, Cameron also says he wanted to break boundaries by making [Neytiri a pregnant warrior](https://screenrant.com/avatar-2-neytiri-mother-change-character-zoe-saldana/) in The Way of Water.

James Cameron Explains How Avatar: The Way of Water Is a ... (Gizmodo)

The director's long-awaited sequel to the highest-grossing movie of all time arrives December 16.

[a self-proclaimed fan of Marvel and DC movies](https://gizmodo.com/james-cameron-avatar-way-of-water-vfx-marvel-thanos-1849872067)—couldn’t resist pointing out that “Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel — all these other amazing women come up, but they’re not moms and they’re not pregnant while they’re fighting evil.” [$3 per monthExclusive: Private Internet Access [happen to be mothers](https://gizmodo.com/moms-the-word-on-the-anniversary-of-james-camerons-alie-1847281734). But I guarantee you, back in the day, women had to fight for survival and protect their children, and it didn’t matter if they were pregnant. [Avatar: The Way of Water](https://gizmodo.com/avatar-2-movie-review-the-way-of-water-james-cameron-1849876980) emphasizes so many things the filmmaker is known for, including cutting-edge special effects, high-stakes action, the idea that a sequel can surpass an original, and strong female characters. And I thought, ‘Well, if you’re really going to go all the way down the rabbit hole of female empowerment, let’s have a female warrior who’s six months pregnant in battle.’ It doesn’t happen in our society—probably hasn’t happened for hundreds of years. Cameron’s past sequels in particular have helped define what a woman action hero looks and acts like: think Sarah Connor in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Ellen Ripley in Aliens.

James Cameron Says Avatar: The Way of Water Does More for ... (MovieWeb)

Avatar: The Way of Water breaks many boundaries, and for James Cameron showing a different kind of female empowerment is a big part of that.

However, securing a release in China has certainly helped the movie’s chances to blast up the box office charts and potentially challenge Top Gun: Maverick to become the highest-grossing movie of the year. [Avatar: The Way of Water](https://movieweb.com/movie/avatar-2/) pushes many boundaries in the world of filmmaking, and the director wanted to use the movie to bring a different level of female empowerment to audiences. This is almost seven times the amount the original Avatar took when it was released in 2009 and went on to become the highest-grossing movie of all time.

Avatar: The Way of Water: James Cameron on the importance of ... (JoBlo.com)

Both Zoe Saldaña's Neytiri and Kate Winslet's Ronal are depicted as pregnant in the movie, which Cameron says takes female empowerment to the next level.

“Strictly in technical terms, Avatar: The Way of Water is a visual marvel; cliches such as ‘a feast for the eyes’ don’t do it justice,” Walkuski wrote. Avatar: The Way of Water will hit theaters on December 16th. Our own Eric Walkuski reviewed Avatar: The Way of Water and found it well worth the wait, if only for the pure theatrical experience it delivers. James Cameron continued: “And pregnant women are more capable of being a lot more athletic than we, as a culture, acknowledge. And I thought, “Well, if you’re really going to go all the way down the rabbit hole of female empowerment, let’s have a female warrior who’s six months pregnant in battle.” It doesn’t happen in our society — probably hasn’t happened for hundreds of years. But I guarantee you, back in the day, women had to fight for survival and protect their children, and it didn’t matter if they were pregnant.

'Post-Avatar depression syndrome': why do fans feel blue after ... (The Guardian)

PADS is not a medically recognised condition, but the feelings people experience are very real.

[Some are obviously, very excited.](https://variety.com/2022/film/features/avatar-depression-fans-the-way-of-water-1235460636/#recipient_hashed=33c0c7f173564d79d8924e43d1c145bfb88e74d6fbd13538f00fab0da97eb50e&recipient_salt=cb0a2b15451baa43b0c9176c29dc6a0c313c2568f34a8f29641454571a7a7e55) But superfan Hill told the New York Times these days, it is just another movie for him: “It’s going to be really interesting to see, but it’s not like I’m counting down the days.” [Avatar: The Way of Water](https://www.theguardian.com/film/avatar--the-way-of-water), is finally out. “Ultimately it comes from a desire to want something better,” he muses, of PADs. Some of their meeting is just nerds nerding, but a lot of it is them talking about their struggles with depression and how they’ve found solace in each other. “I even contemplate suicide thinking that if I do it I will be rebirthed in a world similar to Pandora and the everything is the same as in Avatar.” Another asked: “Are there other people out there who think humanity is going south?” I live in a dying world.” But after speaking to fans, he began reading philosophy and spending more time out in nature by hiking. “For me the post-Avatar depression hit hard because I have this serial track record of trying to escape my reality,” one says, tearfully recalling how a fellow Avatar fan saved his life after he posted on a forum about feeling suicidal. “Avatar made me feel like I could sit out in a forest and just be,” Hill told the New York Times last month; he’s now in his 30s and Watching the wonderful world of Pandora and all the Na’vi made me want to be one of them,” one wrote. It sounds like exactly what happens to me whenever I watch a deeply derided big budget and fairly nonsensical film – but I get the feeling this is … It makes real life seem more imperfect,” Dr Stephan Quentzel, a New York psychiatrist, told CNN in 2010 as way of explanation. It was picked up by the media in 2010, and eventually labelled post-Avatar depression syndrome (PADS).