TheAvatarfranchise will finally address the gap year between its first two movies. In anticipation ofFire and Ash, the nextAvatarmovie scheduled for 2025, fans have deduced that the in-story gap between the originalAvatarandThe Way of Watersequel is 15–16 years, much like the real-life delay between movies. However, fans are still wondering what happened to Jake and the Na’vi in that 16-year gap.
…The Gap Year - Tipping Point will be a canonical story, making it all the more essential viewing for Avatar fans preparing for Fire and Ash’s release…
Ethan Sacks and Salvatore Porcaro’sAvatar: The Gap Year – Tipping Pointis a six-issue series from Dark Horse Comics thatpromises to bridge the gap between 2009’sAvatarand 2022’sAvatar: The Way of Water.The series is set to debut on June 22, 2025, and cover art by Porcaro can be viewed below ahead of its release.
In addition, the press release comes with the following synopsis:
After defending their home of Pandora and sending the RDA packing back to Earth nearly fifteen years ago, the Na’vi returned to their peaceful lives. Former Marine Jake Sully, now accepted as Na’vi himself in an Avatar body, has started a family with Neytiri. Despite more than a decade of peace, Jake knows the RDA isn’t done with Pandora yet. And now he’s proven right as they return in force. With his adopted people and his children at stake, Jake will need to lead the Na’vi into war once again, this time facing more firepower and advanced weapons, with new enemies who have just as much to fight for.
Avatar’sNew Series Finally Answers Questions About the Time Gap Between Movies
Avatar: The Gap Year - Tipping Pointby Ethan Sacks and Salvatore Porcaro
BetweenAvatarandAvatar: The Way of Water, 13 years passed in real life between the theatrical releases, but even more time passed in-universe. The first movie takes place in 2154, whilethe time skip is said to have occurred between 2168 and 2170, which is approximately 15 or 16 years. In that time gap, a lot has changed for the characters by the time thatThe Way of Waterarrives, most notably with Jake Sully and Neytiri raising three biological children, an adopted daughter, and a human boy. Additionally,a Na’vi vs. humans war rages.
However, much of that development took place off-screen and leftAvatarfans with questions that have never been answered until now. This is whereThe Gap Year - Tipping Pointcomes into play. This is what Ethan Sacks has to say in the aforementioned press release:
As a fan of James Cameron and his films ever since the Terminator terrorized my 11-year-old imagination, working on this saga has been one of the great professional honors of my lifetime. That this story is part of the official canon that bridges the gap betweenAvatarandAvatar: The Way of Watermakes it all the more special. The result is a labor of love by everyone involved and you’ll feel that passion in every panel and on every page.
More than just confirming Sacks' affinity for the franchise and his excitement about contributing to it,Sacks confirms thatThe Gap Year - Tipping Pointwill be a canonical story, making it all the more essential viewing for Avatar fans preparing forFire and Ash’srelease later this year.
Avatar: The Gap Year - Tipping PointIs Confirmed to Be Canon
The Best Way to Prepare for the Next Movie in the Trilogy
Previously, fans already had reason to be excited when news dropped of Dark Horse re-releasing all the in-continuityAvatarcomics in omnibus form. Now, they can further prepare for the thirdinstallment of the Avatarmovie trilogy with this series. It should be expected that anything that takes place in this miniseries will have major ramifications for the third movie, expand the lore, and provide a broader context for certain story elements referencing the gap. For that reason, these newAvatarcomic books are a must-read for fans.
Avatar: The Gap Year - Tipping Point#1will be available from Dark Horse Comics on June 26, 2025!
