That ‘Captain Planet’ Movie You Wanted Is Happening

Let the Ma-Ti casting rumors begin: Sony Pictures is in the last stages of negotiations to make a movie based on the environmentally friendly 1990s animated series Captain Planet.

This isn't the first time producers have tried reboot the adventures of the Captain, who comes to life when five multicultural Planeteers combine their powers based on the four classical elements (plus Heart). A script for a movie was produced in the '90s and Cartoon Network tried and failed to get a live-action series off the ground a few years ago.

It isn't clear just yet whether Mark Gordon, Don Murphy and Susan Montford will go for a live-action approach this time or try for an animated film.

If they do choose live-action, the role of Captain Planet has to be Don Cheadle's to lose, though, right? Though one other guy certainly has a claim to the role, too, depending on whether the focus is more comedic or dramatic.

No joke, though: The producers would have a genuinely star-studded cast if they simply reassembled the voice cast from the first season of the cartoon. Meg Ryan voiced Dr. Blight for a season. Martin Sheen was Sly Sludge. Jeff Goldblum was Verminous Skumm. Malcolm McDowell was Zarm. The late James Coburn was Looten Plunder! They were all replaced by other voice actors in later seasons. Everyone but Ed Asner, who was Hoggish Greedly.

Whoopi Goldberg voiced Gaia (not to be confused with Guinan, her Star Trek: The Next Generation character) for three seasons, too.

And now you know a bunch of stuff about Captain Planet that's been sitting around in my brain for years. You're welcome.

[Via ScreenCrush]