The Red Planet Is Calling Again, and Fans Refuse to Let Go
Let’s be completely honest for a second: John Carter was dealt one of the most infamously botched hands in modern Hollywood history. Burdened by a disastrous $250 million marketing blunder and a title so stripped of flavor it sounded like an accountant’s biopic, Andrew Stanton’s 2012 space-fantasy adaptation was written off before general audiences even bought a ticket.
Yet over a decade later, why is the internet suddenly catching fire over a rumored 2027 sequel concept? Fan-made teasers envisioning Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, and Willem Dafoe returning to Barsoom have racked up millions of impressions. Why can’t sci-fi fans just let the red sands settle? Because deep down, everyone who actually sat through the film knows one undeniable truth: Barsoom deserved an empire, not an early grave.
The Pulp Odyssey That Started It All
Before Star Wars, before Dune, and before Avatar, there was Edgar Rice Burroughs’ century-old pulp masterpiece. The original adventure follows a grief-stricken Confederate veteran mysteriously teleported across space to Mars—known natively as Barsoom. Due to lower gravity, Carter becomes a superhuman warrior among towering, four-armed Tharks and the warring humanoid kingdoms of Helium and Zodanga.
It’s pure, unapologetic pulp space opera. And the viral concept for 2027 taps directly into that unquenched thirst: what happens when the reluctant champion is yanked back to Mars decades after securing an uneasy peace?
Mild spoilers ahead — nothing past the midpoint.
The Setup That Could Spark an Epic Resurgence
Here’s what made the core story so tantalizing: Carter doesn’t just conquer Mars; he gets caught between ancient ideological warfare and mysterious, shapeshifting puppet masters known as the Therns. In the early stretches of his journey, Carter’s struggle isn’t merely survival—it’s overcoming his own numbness to fight for a dying world.
And then… everything changes.
The moment Carter chooses to leap into battle to protect Princess Dejah Thoris, the narrative pivots from survivalist sci-fi to a sprawling war epic. But that’s where things get interesting. The shadowy Therns aren’t just manipulating the cities of Mars; they control technology capable of harvesting entire civilizations. If a hypothetical 2027 return were to pick up the threads, Carter wouldn’t just be returning as an outsider—he’d be walking into an ambush centuries in the making. What forces are awakening beyond Barsoom’s charted deserts?
What Still Soars Across the Martian Sky
- Unmatched World-Building: The visual depiction of Thark culture, ancient desert arena combat, and solar-powered airships remains breathtaking.
- Dejah Thoris as a Warrior Scientist: Lynn Collins gave us a heroine who was fierce, brilliant, and never a passive prize to be won.
- Pure Cinematic Scale: Few modern blockbusters capture that raw sense of sweeping, romantic pulpy grandeur without descending into cynical meta-humor.
Where the Original Stumbled
- Pacing and Exposition Overload: The prologue piles on convoluted lore and multiple framing devices before Carter even takes his first Martian leap.
- Tonal Whiplash: The film occasionally wrestled with whether it wanted to be a somber historical tragedy or an exuberant Disney family romp.
Standout Moments That Live Rent-Free
The sequence intercutting Carter slaughtering Warhoon hordes with memories of burying his deceased family on Earth remains an emotionally staggering piece of filmmaking. Paired with Michael Giacchino’s soaring score, it hits like a freight train every single time.
Final Verdict: Cult Classic Vindication
Whether Disney ever officially reopens the gates of Barsoom or leaves it as a cautionary tale of studio mismanagement, the enduring love for John Carter proves that great mythologies never truly die. If you skipped it back in theaters because the buzz was sour, it’s time to wipe the slate clean. Barsoom is waiting, and it’s far better than you were told.
What Viewers Are Saying
Marcus T.: “Easily the most underrated sci-fi epic of the 2010s. If this ever gets a real sequel announcement, take my money immediately.”
Sarah Jenkins: “I avoided it for years because of the terrible reviews. Finally watched it on streaming last month and couldn’t believe how much fun it was!”
David K.: “That arena battle with the white apes still blows away half the CGI slop coming out today.”
Elena Vance: “Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins had fantastic chemistry. Hollywood did both of them so dirty.”
Bryan Reynolds: “The 2027 concept poster gave me false hope for five seconds, but man, do we ever need a proper Barsoom trilogy.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Is John Carter 2 officially happening in 2027?
No, the 2027 posters and teasers currently circulating online are fan-made concepts and wishful thinking. Disney has not announced an official sequel.
Why did John Carter fail at the box office originally?
The movie suffered from an infamously disastrous marketing campaign that dropped ‘of Mars’ from the title, hid the plot from trailers, and struggled against an inflated production budget.
Is the original John Carter based on a book?
Yes, it is based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ 1912 serialized novel A Princess of Mars, the pioneering book in the Barsoom series that inspired modern sci-fi giants like Star Wars and Avatar.
