LDT. John Carter Set for Long-Awaited Return — Animated Series Sparks New Hope for Sci-Fi Icon
For more than a century, John Carter, the heroic adventurer of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom saga, has influenced modern science fiction. Long before Dune, Star Wars, and Avatar reshaped the genre, Burroughs’ tales of a Civil War veteran transported to Mars helped define the visual and thematic language of interplanetary storytelling.
Now, more than a decade after Disney’s costly 2012 film adaptation collapsed at the box office, the John Carter mythos is stepping back into the spotlight — not through live action, but through a newly announced animated series, currently in development by the Burroughs estate.
A Bold New Approach After Disney’s Failure
Disney’s John Carter was once positioned as the next great sci-fi franchise, a billion-dollar tentpole meant to stand beside Star Wars and Marvel. Instead, it became one of the biggest financial disappointments in studio history, ending any immediate plans for sequels.
That failure didn’t diminish the story’s cultural footprint. Scholars and fans often note that Burroughs’ Mars adventures helped inspire Frank Herbert’s Dune, George Lucas’ Star Wars universe, and even modern superhero adaptations — a lineage few properties can claim.
The Animated Comeback
The upcoming project, led by writer and producer Michael Kogge, aims to return John Carter to his literary roots and more faithfully adapt the original Barsoom novels’ sweeping battles, alien civilizations, and exotic landscapes — elements notoriously difficult and expensive to execute in live action.
Early reports suggest the tone will be pulpy, mythic, and visually ambitious — closer to the original novels than Disney’s modernization. The series remains in early development, with no official release date or distributor confirmed, leaving fans cautiously optimistic while the team builds momentum.
Reality Check: Comeback or Mirage?
Despite renewed fan excitement and viral speculation about a sequel titled John Carter 2, reputable industry observers warn that:
- No official sequel or live-action reboot is currently greenlit
- Circulating “trailers” are fan-made, not studio releases
- Hollywood remains wary of re-investing in a property associated with financial risk
The animated approach may be the smartest — if not the only — viable path forward. It allows creators to explore the vastness of Barsoom without betting hundreds of millions on sets, creature effects, and giant marketing campaigns.
Why John Carter Still Matters
The continued interest in Burroughs’ warrior-on-Mars saga speaks to something deeper than nostalgia. John Carter represents:
- The origin point of modern sci-fi hero archetypes
- A story where bravery, exploration, and destiny collide
- A forgotten pillar of genre history that deserves a second look
If executed with care, this animated series could finally give the material the format it always needed — one capable of honoring Burroughs’ imagination instead of shrinking it.
