AceShowbiz - Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh's highly anticipated appearance in the "Avatar" film series will occur later than expected. James Cameron, director and writer of the franchise, revealed that Yeoh's character, scientist Dr. Karina Mogue, will not appear in the upcoming third installment, titled "Avatar: Fire and Ash".

"Michelle Yeoh won't be in '3'. She's in '4' and '5'," Cameron told Entertainment Weekly during Disney's D23 convention. "So that got a little bit misreported."

In 2021, late producer Jon Landau shared a photo of Yeoh on the set of the third "Avatar" film, leading to speculation that she would appear in that entry. However, Cameron clarified that Yeoh's role was planned for the fourth installment.

"She will be coming in soon to do her part, which is an interesting, fun character," Cameron explained. "I mean, we're getting ahead of ourselves now. This whole thing has been planned for years and years. The scripts were all written years ago, through the end of movie 5."

Despite the delay, Cameron expressed his excitement for working with Yeoh. "We love Michelle," he said. "She was always a movie star, but she's blown up into a huge, huge phenomenon. I look forward to working there."

Cameron also showcased some concept art from the upcoming films, teasing that viewers will see "a lot more Pandora that you never saw before." He emphasized that the third installment will be "an insane adventure" with "very high emotional stakes."

The third "Avatar" film is currently scheduled for release on December 19, 2025, followed by "Avatar 4" on December 21, 2029, and "Avatar 5" on December 19, 2031.