He’s not nine feet tall or blue, but Spider, Avatar’s human character played by Jack Champion, looms large over the franchise. In the new film, Avatar: Fire and Ash, much of what happens with and to Spider drives large sections of the story. And, apparently, it will continue to do so.

Though writer-director James Cameron has played coy about whether or not the planned 4th and 5th Avatar movies will still be happening, actor Jack Champion revealed to io9 that he has filmed “more than just a little bit” of scenes for the next film.

“I think we’ve all filmed a couple of, what’s the word, flashback scenes?” Champion said. “But, honestly, we’ve filmed more than just a little bit, at least for me. I filmed a decent amount of flashbacks. I really hope that we get to make four and five, because it’s such a mind-bending, crazy story that has to be told.”

The reason Champion in particular has filmed “more than just a little bit” of scenes for the future movies is that, well, he’s grown. A lot. Jack Champion, circa 2025, looks much older than he did in 2017, when films two and three were shot simultaneously. Cameron knew that would happen and made sure anything he needed with Spider as a younger man was in the can before the actor went ahead and grew up on him.

“It was a challenge,” Champion said of filming. “Because I would be in The Way of Water, and then the next scene that same day would be after three, and I’d be like, ‘Okay, wait. How much did my character go through?’”

After seeing Fire and Ash, Spider is one of the characters we’re most anxious to see return because he goes through a lot. Which you’d expect after what he goes through in the last film, Avatar: The Way of Water. In that film. Spider learned that his late father, Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), sent a copy of his consciousness to Earth to be placed in a Na’vi Avatar, only to return to Pandora and hunt down Jake Sully. It’s a lot for a kid to handle. Especially since we see him save his evil father at the end of the film.

You’ll see what happens next when Avatar: Fire and Ash opens on December 19. Avatar 4 is currently scheduled for release on December 21, 2029.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.