Captain Planet and the Planeteers remains nostalgic ’90s cartoon, and it’s impact is still felt by fans today, including Hollywood A-lister Glen Powell. He’s such a big fan of the environmentally conscious cartoon that he’s been synonymous with a long-gestating, big-screen adaptation since 2016. Now, as the project closes in on almost a decade of progress, there’s been a significant update. That reveal come from Powell himself, who got real about where things stand at this point.
The 36-year-old Twisters star shared the Captain Planet details with Screen Rant while talking about his 2025 TV release, Chad Powers. Sadly, those who’ve been hoping for Powell to take part in the long-in-the-works adaptation may be disappointed by what Powell had to say about the project:
That one’s no longer in my hands. Yeah, they’re going to take it and run with it, but yeah, I wish them the best on that one.
Wow, that’s a bummer. Though, considering that Glen Powell hadn’t spoken too much about the project up until this point, I suppose it shouldn’t be surprising he’s no longer part of it. Despite that, given how perfect the IP would seemingly be for him, it’s hard not to feel down about this news. If there’s any consolation, though, it’s that the CP movie is apparently still on and a new generation of fans could still become acquainted with the environmentally friendly hero at some point.
As previously alluded to, Powell has a personal history with the Captain Planet franchise, and he shed light on that during his interview as well. Powell went on to say that projects just don’t work out sometimes within the entertainment business, and that’s true, considering how many films have been (and continue to be) stuck in development hell. Still, I appreciate his optimistic about a live-action adaptation of the six-season, animated show:
I’ve been a passionate fan of Captain Planet since I was a kid. Obviously, some things that you make in this town find their way quickly, and some of ’em don’t, and there was a lot of rights holders and things like that around it. A lot of opinions, so I’m no longer the guy running with the baton, but they’re going to make something great, I’m sure.
I’d like to think that Glen Powell’s passion for the property would’ve seeped into his work on the film. Not only was Powell potentially starring in the movie, but he was also co-writing a script with writer and producer Jono Matt. For a while, the movie was also pegged as one of Leonardo DiCaprio’s upcoming projects, as he was confirmed to be producing it via his company, Appian Way Productions. It’s hard to say exactly why things broke down as far is Powell is concerned, but I feel as though he would’ve knocked this out of the park.
Based on what’s known now, the project — which was initially set up as a feature film at Paramount — has become a Netflix series. It’ll still be a live-action production and DiCaprio is still attached as a producer. As a fan of the Anyone but You star, I’m sad that we’ll miss out on what could’ve been an intriguing piece of work. Still, I’m hopeful that the project will turn out OK.
On the bright side, there are still plenty of other Powell-led films that are in different stages of development. His latest film is Edgar Wright’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Running Man, for which Powell put in some serious running work for. He’s also starring in J.J. Abrams’ mysterious new film, Ghostwriter. Also, let’s not forget that Top Gun 3 is in the works as well. Still, let’s remember the Powell-fronted Captain Planet film as we toast to the film’s the actor has in the works.
Catch Glen Powell (if you can) when The Running Man heads to theaters on November 7 as part of the 2025 movie schedule.