Latest Fantasy News: ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ purchases real estate in eager fans’ minds as a ‘Rings of Power’ star works to turn the backlash in a positive direction

Fans can’t get their minds off of Avatar: The Way of Water, the highly-anticipated followup to 2009’s Avatar.

The film is weighing heavy on fantasy fans’ minds, as they look ahead to its Dec. 16 release. Not everyone has access to a copy of the first film, but never fear—we’re here to remind you of all the vital details contained within Avatar that may be relevant as you head toward the sequel.

Far from the colorful seas of Pandora, another fantasy powerhouse retains the attention of its many fans. In the wake of a distinctly divisive first season, one of the stars of Amazon Prime’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is hoping to harness the backlash into something productive.

An Avatar refresher to prep you for Way of Water

In the decade since the first Avatar film dropped, many fans have forgotten all but the most stand-out details about the film. If you could use a refresher before heading to theaters for The Way of Water, we’ve got a stellar rundown packed full of all the necessary details, from character names and backgrounds to where the film left off. Let it be your guide as you prep for your return to Pandora.

How do the Na’vi reproduce in Avatar?

The colorful blue denizens of Pandora aren’t like you and me, with the race sporting a number of vital differences in their anatomy. News that The Way of Water will contain several Na’vi children is sparking questions about how the race reproduces. Do they make babies in the same way we humans do, or is there a special, Na’vi-specific route to offspring? It seems that the alien race reproduces like most mammals, but the intimate ritual performed before the act of reproduction begins is certainly unique to the Na’vi.

Rings of Power star Ismael Cruz Córdova is set to double down on some of the show’s most divisive elements

Ismael Cruz Córdova, who played Arondir in Prime’s recent venture into Middle-earth, was the subject of constant racist backlash after he joined the cast as the franchise’s first elf of color. The response didn’t daunt the 35-year-old actor, who instead plans to use it to his advantage. He’d instead like to lean on the many fans who responded to the hate with love and use their response as proof that representation matters. If he gets his way, future seasons of Rings of Power will sport even more diversity, and we’re very much here for it.