Alita: Battle Angel may not have blown the box-office away upon release, but fans have every hope that a sequel may arrive someday. Director Robert Rodriguez and producer James Cameron have both stated that – should the first movie make enough money – a second movie is in the pipeline.

Of course, Edward Norton's cameo in Alita: Battle Angel heavily hinted at a sequel already being in mind. The actor briefly appeared in a non-speaking role as Nova, an immortal mad scientist able to transfer his conscience into other people. But, how exactly did that A-list cameo come about? Our sister publication Total Film put that question to Norton, who was promoting his new movie Motherless Brooklyn.

"I am friends with Jim [Cameron], and actually enormously admire and kind of adore him... So when he wanted me to do something in Avatar 2, I basically told him, 'If I’m not a Na’vi, I’m not doing it. I’m not being part of the industrial world, coming in to destroy Pandora. I’m either a Na’vi or nothing.'

"He was like, 'OK, maybe in 3, 4 or 5, then.' In the meantime, he asked, 'Well, do you know Robert [Rodriguez]?' I was like, 'Whatever. Let’s do something. I want to do something with him.'"

So, there you have it – Norton's refusal to play a human invader in Avatar 2 led to his cameo in Alita: Battle Angel. And should that second Alita finally come about, Norton will surely be back as Nova once more.

Norton went on to discuss Motherless Brooklyn as well as his time on Fight Club and his alternate plans for The Hulk. You can read the entire interview in the latest issue of Total Film magazine , available on store shelves October 18. Meanwhile, Motherless Brooklyn reaches cinemas November 22.

If you’re a fan of Total Film, why not subscribe so that you never miss an issue, and you’ll get exclusive subscriber-only covers, like the one below, delivered directly to your doormat before the magazine hits shelves? What are you waiting for?

(Image credit: Future)

We’re currently running a subscription offer where you can subscribe from as little as £12.25 every three months, and you’ll also get five blockbuster movies to run from Rakuten TV (which you can watch on any supported device including Smart TVs, consoles, tablets, smartphones and more). Head to My Favourite Magazines now to take advantage of the offer. (Ts and Cs apply).