A new Captain Planet series is in the works, and the debate over just how "woke" it's going to be has already ignited.
The original 1990s cartoon was about five teenagers who gained the power to summon Captain Planet, an environmentalist superhero, as they all worked together to try to save the planet from ecological disasters and eco-villains.
A live-action take on Captain Planet and the Planeteers has been in the works for awhile now. Last week, Deadline announced that Netflix landed the series, which will be made in conjunction with Greg Berlanti and Leonardo DiCaprio's respective production companies, Berlanti Productions and Appian Way.
Is Captain Planet "woke"?
Not much else is known about the show at this time. However, it doesn't feel like a leap to assume that environmentalism is going to remain a major focus of the show.
As such, people who think climate change is a hoax and caring about the future of others is propaganda are already angry about it.
They made Captain Planet woke pic.twitter.com/LiY8x0sckG
— Z Langdon (@NotZacLangdon) July 20, 2025
Captain Planet was an op.
— TUPACABRA (@TUPACABRA2) July 18, 2025
"Remember the Earth's resources are limited. You do not need to have a big family..." pic.twitter.com/qDIcV4XA8V
Captain Planet was Globalist Marxist propaganda, and I'm tired of pretending it wasn't. https://t.co/FmpHXtk0Ay
— Wasson Watch Co. (@WassonWatch) July 18, 2025
Captain Planet was woke as hell. That's why it sucked.
— Dr. Smeggman (@Smeggman32) July 19, 2025
Others were ready for Captain Planet to embrace exactly how on-the-nose it was known for being and push things to the extreme.
I kinda want the kids to be in Extinction Rebellion and Antifa now. They're gluing themselves to paintings and beating randos with a bike lock to save pollinators or some shit. Captain Planet is assassinating CEOs because political correctness didn't work https://t.co/gLCRhGDDCM
— subtweetive streak (@simpleartfarmer) July 19, 2025
Think they should make it horror and he kills everybody using A1 and gr0k ? side note, Captain Planet top 10 greatest themes of all time ? https://t.co/6eVqQ9ebC5 pic.twitter.com/yq7W938fFC
— Christina (❤️Supercorp Canon?) (@GoChrissyGo) July 20, 2025
Enviromentalism used to be such a tame topic in childrens media, but nobody even dares to tackle stuff like this anymore due to how heavily politicized it's become. I think a show like this for kids existing now would actually be great, but it's millenial nostalgia bait instead. https://t.co/9xoDlHLHIS
— Bravo (@SaturnBravo) July 18, 2025
Captain Planet's gonna find out about NFTs and generative AI and fucking kill himself https://t.co/vno86DxhOS
— GumballViking (@viking_gumball) July 19, 2025
Don Cheadle as Captain Planet
Funny-or-Die actually poked fun at how over-the-top the kids' cartoon could be over a decade ago. It was a series of live-action shorts starring Don Cheadle as Captain Planet, a superhero so hell-bent on protecting Earth that he had no problem taking down humanity itself to do so.
As soon as news about the upcoming live-action series began circulating, people starting throwing it back to this version of Captain Planet.
THERE IS ONLY ONE https://t.co/sOE96pXUZa pic.twitter.com/Yt2cgnTm0H
— Sven - sational Always (@SvensationalGuy) July 19, 2025
Idk man, the last live action Captain Planet is a tough act to follow ? pic.twitter.com/KmpqVtGJdA https://t.co/xHPJTx3suE
— World B. Flat (@Omynee_Hurts) July 18, 2025
If its not Don Cheadle, what are we event talking about here? https://t.co/KBBeXDPEEB pic.twitter.com/gc12mA8jbn
— Gerald Berry (@Gerald_Berry) July 17, 2025
Give the people what they want, Netflix!
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