00:00Get up! Tars! Give me a hand, Tars! You have more of them hands! Give me one!
00:07There's been some pretty interesting movement around the John Carter universe lately,
00:11and honestly, it feels like the franchise is finally getting another real shot
00:15because of how things are lining up. During the 2025 San Diego Comic-Con,
00:20there was a panel focused on Edgar Rice Burroughs' work, and that's where the big update dropped.
00:24Michael Kogi is teaming up with the Burroughs' estate to bring John Carter of Mars to television,
00:30and that alone is a strong sign that the project is being taken seriously.
00:35When the original creator's estate is directly involved, it usually means they want to protect
00:40the legacy and make sure the adaptation actually respects what made the source material special.
00:46What makes this even more interesting is the decision to go with animation instead of live
00:51action. Now, that might sound surprising at first, but it actually makes a lot of sense
00:56because fantasy animation has evolved a lot in recent years, and it can handle large-scale worlds,
01:02strange creatures, and wild action in a way that live-action sometimes struggles with,
01:07especially when budgets get in the way. Animation gives creators more freedom,
01:12so Barsoom can finally look as weird, vibrant, and alien as it does in the books,
01:17which is something fans have wanted for a long time. And speaking of what could have been,
01:23the plans for John Carter 2 were actually pretty detailed, even though the movie never happened.
01:28The sequel was going to be titled Gods of Mars, and it would have picked up the story in a
01:33really
01:34emotional way. Instead of jumping straight into action, the opening would have focused on Deja Thoris,
01:40who would be narrating the past events to her child, Carthoris. She believes that John Carter is gone
01:46for good, so there's already this emotional weight right from the beginning because it feels like a
01:51story about loss and hope at the same time. But things don't stay calm for long because the story
01:56quickly shifts into something more intense. Tardos Mors appears to take the child away just to put him
02:03to sleep, but it turns out to be Matai Shang in disguise, which adds that layer of deception and
02:08danger. He kidnaps the child and disappears, and that moment basically kicks off the entire plot.
02:15It's a strong hook because it combines personal stakes with a larger threat, so the story feels
02:20both intimate and epic at the same time. From there, the movie would have brought John Carter
02:26back to Barsoom, continuing right where the first film left off. But this time, things are very
02:31different because a decade has passed, and that gap creates a lot of tension. Carter returns to a world
02:38that has moved on without him, and he learns that Deja has gone on her own journey, following a river
02:43in the hope that it might lead her to their kidnapped son. That kind of setup adds a sense of
02:48urgency and
02:49emotion because everyone is searching, but they're doing it separately. As Carter reconnects with allies
02:55like Tars Tarkas, the story starts to expand, and this is where the world-building really kicks in.
03:01He eventually discovers an underground city controlled by the Firstborn, and this is where the mythology of
03:07Barsoom becomes even more complex. The Firstborn are devoted to a figure known as the goddess Isis,
03:14and they've been secretly controlling key aspects of the planet like water, air, and even plant life.
03:20So the stakes suddenly become much bigger, because now it's not just about rescuing a child,
03:25it's about uncovering a system that has been manipulating an entire world.
03:29But then comes the twist, because Isis isn't real in the way people think. It's just another disguise
03:36used by Matai Shang, who has been pulling the strings all along. That reveal adds a layer of
03:42intrigue because it shows how deeply the villain has embedded himself into the structure of Barsoom's
03:47society. So Carter's mission becomes more than just rescue. It turns into a fight to expose the truth
03:53and break that control. The climax of the story sounds especially intense because it brings
03:59everything together in a very personal way. Carter ends up facing his own son, who has been
04:05transformed into a powerful warrior by Matai Shang. And because of that, there's a moment where he
04:10almost kills him without realizing who he is. That kind of conflict hits hard because it's not just a
04:16battle, it's a tragedy waiting to happen. But in the end, the family reunites, and the three major
04:23races of Barsoom come together to defeat the Therns, which gives the story a satisfying and hopeful
04:28resolution. Now, even though the original John Carter movie didn't perform well at the box office,
04:34it's gained a bit of a cult following over time. And that's important, because it shows that people
04:39do see value in the story. The movie had its flaws, but it also had potential, and that's something the
04:46new animated series can learn from. For example, the visual style of the film didn't fully capture
04:52what made Barsoom unique. It often felt a bit too polished or generic, which took away from the
04:58sense of wonder. The animated version has a chance to fix that because it can lean fully into the
05:04weirdness and uniqueness of the world. Barsoom shouldn't feel like just another desert planet,
05:10it should feel like something completely different, something that stands out immediately. That kind of
05:16strong visual identity is important because it helps the audience connect with the setting in a deeper
05:21way. World building is another area where the series can improve. The books are incredibly
05:27detailed, with different cultures, species, and histories all interacting with each other. But the
05:32movie didn't fully explore that depth, so it ended up feeling like a simplified version of the source
05:37material. The show can take its time and really build out that world, because television allows for
05:43more storytelling space. Marketing is also going to be a huge factor this time around. The original film
05:50made some odd choices, like dropping Of Mars from the title, which made it sound less like a sci-fi
05:56story. That's something they absolutely shouldn't repeat, because the identity of the franchise is
06:02tied to that sense of otherworldly adventure. They need to embrace the legacy, especially since this
06:08is part of a story that's been around for over a century. Now, here's where things get even more
06:13interesting, because if the franchise really wants to expand, animation could also be the perfect way
06:19to bring John Carter 2 back in some form. Even though the live-action sequel didn't happen, there's
06:25nothing stopping them from continuing that story in an animated format. In fact, animation might actually
06:31be better suited for it, because it can handle the scale, the creatures, and the more fantastical elements
06:37without limitations. And if they go down that path, they could also start adapting some of the more
06:43unique and creative stories from the books, like The Chessmen of Mars. That story is especially
06:49fascinating, because it shifts the focus away from John Carter and puts his daughter, Terra of Helium,
06:55at the center. It also introduces one of the most creative concepts in the entire series, which is
07:01the idea of a living chess match. But this isn't just a normal chess game, because it takes place
07:08on a massive scale with real warriors acting as the pieces. When one piece moves to capture another,
07:14the characters actually fight, and the outcome of those battles determines the progress of the game.
07:19It's such a wild concept, because it blends strategy with action, so it's not just about strength,
07:26but also intelligence and planning. The final sequence of that story is especially
07:31memorable, because Gaian, Terra's love interest, is forced to play this game to savor. And it's not
07:37just about winning, it's about out-thinking the opponent while also surviving the physical battles
07:42that come with each move. That kind of scene would look incredible in animation, because you could
07:48fully explore the scale and intensity without holding back. There are also other stories that could
07:54bring something fresh to the screen, like The Synthetic Men of Mars, which introduces some darker and
07:59more bizarre elements. In that story, Vordage ends up having his brain placed into a monstrous body,
08:06and that creates a whole new kind of conflict, because he has to deal with being trapped in a
08:11form that doesn't feel like his own. It adds a mix of horror, identity, struggle, and even a bit of
08:17strange humor, because of how he interacts with the world in that state. And then there are the more
08:22over-the-top action ideas, like the story where John Carter faces a giant creature with the help of an
08:28army of Martian rats. It sounds completely wild, but that's part of the charm of the series because
08:34it isn't afraid to be bold and imaginative. Scenes like that could really stand out in a modern
08:39adaptation, because they offer something different from typical sci-fi battles. So when you look at
08:45everything together, it feels like John Carter is in a really interesting position right now.
08:50The animated series has the chance to fix past mistakes, explore the world more deeply,
08:56and even continue stories that never got the chance to be told.
09:01And that's that for today's video, folks. Thank you so much for watching,
09:05and we will see you in the next one.
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