Michelle Rodriguez Won’t Let James Cameron Put Her in ‘Avatar’ Sequels: It’s ‘Overkill’ to Come Back From the Dead Again

Michelle Rodriguez has declined an opportunity to star in the "Avatar" sequels, despite the potential benefits of starring in the highest-grossing film series. The actress, known for her roles in the "Fast & Furious" franchise, informed director James Cameron that he could not bring her character back to life for the sequels, stating that she has already experienced similar plotlines in her previous roles three times before. According to Rodriguez, a fourth resurrection would be "overkill." In the original "Avatar," Rodriguez played Trudy Chacón, a sympathetic combat pilot who sacrifices herself in the battle to assist the Na'vi in defeating human antagonists.

Michelle Rodriguez recently revealed that she turned down the opportunity to star in the upcoming “Avatar” sequels, even though it's one of the biggest franchises in movie history. The reason behind her decision was that she didn't want to come back to life again in a movie, as it had already happened three times in her career. In a conversation with director James Cameron, Rodriguez explained that she died as a martyr in the original “Avatar” film, and bringing her back to life would be “overkill.” She listed her past roles in movies such as “Resident Evil,” “Machete,” and “Fast and Furious,” where her dead characters were brought back to life, and insisted that she can't do it again.

Rodriguez expressed her confusion over why many of her dead characters come back to life, joking that it might be because they don't know what to do with a girl who doesn't have a boyfriend. Despite turning down “Avatar,” Rodriguez has a busy first half of 2023, with the releases of “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” and “Fast X” from Paramount and Universal Pictures, respectively. “Avatar: The Way of Water,” the sequel to the highest-grossing movie of all time, still managed to defy box office expectations with $2.3 billion in worldwide gross, making it the third highest-grossing movie in history.