The Big Clue Everyone Missed Early In Avatar
Box office boss of blockbusters and underwater explorer James Cameron is still working on those pesky "Avatar" sequels, with the seemingly full expectation to blow our tiny mortal minds with what's in store. All of it wouldn't have been possible, of course, had it not been for his first trip to Pandora that broke new ground in filmmaking forever.
The 2009 film that told a "Dances with Wolves"-like story among the stars saw Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) infiltrate an alien tribe on the planet Pandora with the help of a band of scientists, including Sigourney Weaver's Dr. Grace Augustine. Sadly, after an all-out war between the humans and the Na'vi, the good doctor is one of the many visitors to the planet who does not make it out alive. What's interesting about her fate, though, is that we were teased of it early on in the film; we just didn't pick up on it.
Augustine speaks too soon and suffers for it in Avatar
During Jake's gradual infiltration of the Na'vi tribe and understanding of Pandora, the undercover human is introduced to the Tree of Souls. It's a sacred site for the Na'vi, cut off from all but Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and her people, but it is still a spot that Augustine is fascinated to learn more about. Speaking to Sully, she explains that she "would die to get samples" if she could. Sadly, she has the chance to do so, but at the cost of her own life. After she was shot by Col. Quaritch, the Na'vi hope to heal her fatal wounds by getting her there in time. After being carried to the tree, Augustine looks up from its roots and ever the scientist, reminds herself, "I should take samples."
It's a bittersweet moment in every sense of the word, perfected only by Weaver's performance as Augustine. Thankfully, there's confirmation that we won't see the last of it given that the "Avatar" and former "Aliens" star is set to return for "Avatar 2" (via the Independent), as well as the fourth and fifth films. We can see just how this has come to pass, as well as more of the unseen alien planet, when the film arrives in theaters on December 16, 2022.