Entertainment Movies Michelle Rodriguez Told James Cameron He 'Can't' Resurrect Her 'Avatar' Character: 'Overkill' After playing three other characters that have been brought back to life in other franchises, Rodriguez put her foot down with Cameron's long-overdue Avatar follow-ups By Glenn Garner Glenn Garner Glenn Garner is a form writer-reporter who worked heavily with PEOPLE's Movies and TV verticals. He left PEOPLE in 2023. People Editorial Guidelines Published on March 30, 2023 10:57PM EDT Photo: Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock; Amy Sussman/WireImage Michelle Rodriguez isn't big on life after death when it comes to her roles. After she died onscreen as Marine pilot Captain Trudy Chacón in 2009's Avatar, the actress, 44, recounted telling filmmaker James Cameron to let the character remain dead "as a martyr" in upcoming sequels during a recent interview with Vanity Fair. "Dude, when I saw Jim recently, he was like, 'I was thinking, What if Michelle came back? A lot of the other characters came back [in The Way of Water],'" she said. "I was like, 'You can't do that—I died as a martyr. Michelle Rodriguez Jokes 'Something Primal' Happens to Her When She Sees Jason Momoa: 'That Guy's Hot' "'Jim, I came back in Resident Evil, I wasn't supposed to. I came back in Machete, I wasn't supposed to. I came back with Letty [in the Fast & Furious franchise], I wasn't supposed to,'" Rodriguez recalled telling him. "'We can't do a fourth, that would be overkill!'" She theorized that since she's rarely cast with a romantic lead, directors don't know what to do with her characters. ILM "I don't understand, it's so weird," Rodriguez mused. "I guess they don't know what to do with the girl who doesn't have a boyfriend. 'She doesn't have a boyfriend. Should we keep her alive, or kill her?'" Michelle Rodriguez Explains Why Vin Diesel Is Jealous of Her Dungeons & Dragons Movie Role When she was first cast in Avatar in 2007, Rodriguez raved about getting to work with the Academy Award-winning director on her website at the time. "I'm so not [the] type to ass kiss, and I've never had a mentor in this business, not anyone I respect as much," she wrote. "I am about to embark on a journey with one of my favorite storytellers and mythology manifestors of all time," she added. "I wouldn't mind being this man's assistant, anything I could learn from him would make me so happy." RELATED VIDEO: Avatar's Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña on Their 16-year Friendship and Memorable First Meeting: "She Couldn't Understand My Accent" Cameron's long-overdue sequel Avatar: The Way of Water premiered in December, surpassing $500 million worldwide in its first week and beating his own hit Titanic as the third-biggest international release ever. Cameron has since said he has ideas for up to five more films in the franchise. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Rodriguez returns as Letty once again for Fast X, the upcoming 10th Fast & Furious installment premiering May 19. She can currently be seen in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.