Users crack up as Zoe Saldaña says she’ll be 54 when Avatar ends: “And here I am thinking Marvel contracts were long”

Zoe Saldaña’s Avatar contract is basically a life sentence. While speaking on Deadline’s video series, The Actor’s Side, she said:

“I was 28 when I signed on and will be 54 when we finish”

The actress signed up for Avatar when the iPhone 3GS was a thing, and she’ll be wrapping it up when Gen Alpha is doing their taxes.

Naturally, the internet turned this into meme fuel because no piece of information is safe from a little sarcasm.

Marvel fans reading this while still stuck in multiverse crossovers joked:

"And here I am thinking marvel contracts were long"

Another user added:

"No wonder they take so long to release"

At this rate, the final Avatar sequel might drop before GTA 6.

One user humorously stated:

"Talk about a long-term relationship! She's basically married to Pandora at this point lol."

One user mentioned:

"Not that bad. Hugh Jackman will be 90 when he’s done playing Wolverine."

Some users started wondering about Cameron's age, while others wondered if he was working on some high-tech right now, and by the last movie, he would directly download it into our brains.

A comment read:

"Soo how old would that make James Cameron"

Another comment read:

"By the last movie, we’ll be watching it in holograms"

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A franchise that just won’t quit feat. Zoe Saldaña

Saldaña first stepped into Neytiri’s shoes in Avatar back in 2009, a film that broke box office records. James Cameron pulled up with his blue CGI aliens and the world was never the same.

Fast forward more than a decade, and Avatar: The Way of Water drops.

The film explored the themes of family, connection, and—most importantly—how far actors are willing to go to hold their breath underwater for the sake of cinema.

And surprise, more sequels are coming, including Avatar: Fire and Ash.

For Saldaña, revisiting Neytiri is a second identity at this point. Playing the same character across decades isn’t exactly the Hollywood norm unless you’re Vin Diesel yapping about family, but Zoe is fully committed.

She describes Pandora as “magical” and sees this whole experience as “a gift.” But it’s also a very, very long-term gift.

The concept of a 26-year commitment to anything is terrifying. That’s a legally binding relationship.

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Saldaña’s franchise domination continues

This woman has got the Hollywood Infinity Gauntlet of blockbuster roles. She’s also Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy, Uhura in Star Trek, and it wouldn’t be shocking if she had a role in Fast & Furious 47.

Financially speaking, she’s dominating. The movies she’s starred in have collectively made over $15 billion worldwide.

In 2024, she starred in Emilia Pérez, a film that doesn’t involve blue aliens or talking raccoons. And it’s still getting major critical acclaim, with an Academy Award nomination.

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The Avatar commitment: will she ever be free?

Well, she’s still got Avatar sequels lined up until at least 2031. That means we’re getting more Pandora, motion capture suits, and probably more “James Cameron spent 15 years inventing a new camera for this” headlines.

The hype for these upcoming films is real, given how The Way of Water crushed the box office. It’s safe to say the world isn’t over Avatar just yet.

But will Saldaña eventually get to hang up on Neytiri at some point? By the time the last Avatar movie comes out, the technology might be so advanced that they’ll just deepfake her into future films indefinitely.