Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, and Heart, those powers will combine one more time to create Earth’s greatest champion, Captain Planet. According to Deadline, a live-action series based on the cult-classic 1990s animated series, Captain Planet and the Planeteers is under development at Netflix.
After years of development as a feature film, the project has been reimagined for the small screen with Warner Bro. Television and powerhouse producers Greg Berlanti’s Berlanti Productions and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way, helming the streaming giant’s adaptation of Green Justice. Mrs. Davis, co‑creator and EP Tara Hernandez (The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon), is penning the scripts as showrunner, which could showcase a promising, tight, character‑driven take on the eco‑superhero legacy.
There had been previous reports of a live-action adaptation of Captain Planet, dating back to 2007. In 2016, DiCaprio’s Appian Way attempted to develop a feature film with Paramount Pictures. Jono Matt and Top Gun: Maverick star Glen Powell were in talks to write the script, and Powell would star as Cap. Sources Deadlin spoke to said that Powell isn’t involved in the the upcoming Netflix series, but Matt will serve as a producer.
Co-created by Ted Turner, Captain Planet inspired a generation to reduce, reuse, and recycle with a catchy theme song. From 1990 to 1996, the blue-skinned, green-mulleted superhero summoned by five teens with magical rings became a Saturday morning staple by pioneering the way of delivering eco-friendly and socially conscious messages. Although it was science fiction, the fun and campy series often discussed the effects of pollution, deforestation, climate change, endangered species, energy use, and other real-world environmental issues.
Until the live-action series premieres on Netflix, nostalgic millennials, Gen Zers, or Planeteers searching for how to watch Captain Planet in 2025 can stream the 1990s cartoon. Cord cutters can watch Captain Planet and the Planeteers on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and other compatible devices on Prime Video.
Credit: Deadline