With the massive push by studios to produce as many superhero films as possible in the last decade, it's crazy to think that we haven't gotten a Captain Planet movie already. A potential adaptation of Captian Planet crosses all of the vital points in a Hollywood Venn diagram that virtually ensures its success. It's got the perfect amount of 90s nostalgia baked into the property; it promotes a message of ecological justice and sustainability that could easily be expanded to include climate change, and it's a superhero IP with built-in diversity through the Planeteers. A theoretical Captain Planet film franchise should already be working on its fifth movie by now.
A few years ago, rumors began to circulate that Leonardo DiCaprio was itching to produce a Captain Planet film, but, as of late, the conversation around the project has died out. According to Comic Book Resources, the project might be closer to fruition than we realized. It's also worth noting that Captain Planet is 33 years old, which makes DiCaprio's interest in the project all the more puzzling.
Top Gun: Maverick's Glen Powell provided a positive update about Leonardo DiCaprio's Captain Planet movie, showing there is still some life left in the film adaptation.
During a chat with ET Online, Powell shared that the Captain Planet project is still in the works, but its overall status will depend on what happens in the ongoing Warner Bros. Discovery shakeup. "I think those conversations will be happening shortly. I know DiCaprio is super passionate about it," said the actor. "I'm super passionate about it. I think it could be great… I want that one to work. I'd love to play that superhero."
Back in 2016, it was announced that DiCaprio's production company Appian Way was in talks to obtain the screen rights to Captain Planet and the Planeteers with the goal of creating a new take on the popular cartoon series. The film rights were once at Sony Pictures and Paramount before landing at Warner Bros. Powell became attached as a writer alongside Jono Matt during this period, but news on the film has been very slim ever since. The actor did describe the movie at one point as a "subversive take" on the material.
