John Carter 2: Return to Barsoom picks up where the first film left off, building on the rich world of Barsoom (Mars), and continuing the story of John Carter, the former Confederate soldier who became a hero to an alien world. This sequel leans into the sci-fi and fantasy elements that made the original story unique, while evolving into a sharper, more intense space epic. It delivers higher stakes, deeper mythology, and new conflicts that challenge everything Carter thought he understood.
The Premise
It has been ten years since John Carter was transported back to Earth, leaving behind his love, Dejah Thoris, and the world he fought to save. After years of trying, Carter finally returned to Barsoom at the end of the first movie. Return to Barsoom begins shortly after his return, but peace is fleeting.
Though Helium and Zodanga reached a fragile truce under Carter’s influence, a new threat has emerged from the ancient cities buried deep beneath the Martian sands. Strange seismic tremors plague Barsoom, uncovering a hidden force long forgotten: the remnants of the First Born, a mysterious, ancient race far older and more powerful than the Therns.
A New Threat
The story begins with John Carter and Dejah Thoris ruling Helium together, their bond stronger than ever. But the tremors across Barsoom are more than geological activity—they’re signals. The First Born are awakening, and they’re not interested in diplomacy.
Led by the enigmatic and ruthless leader Ka’Ryx, the First Born view the surface-dwellers as unworthy stewards of Barsoom. They possess advanced psionic abilities that dwarf even those of the Therns, and their underground society has been evolving for millennia in secrecy. Ka’Ryx believes it is time for Barsoom to be reclaimed by its rightful rulers, starting with the destruction of Helium and its allies.
Carter is thrust back into war, but this time, his physical strength and jumping abilities are not enough. The First Born fight with illusions, mind control, and technology that destabilizes the natural order of the planet. Carter must evolve or be left behind.
Old Allies, New Conflicts
Tars Tarkas, the green Martian warlord, returns with a more complicated role. His people, the Tharks, are divided on whether to align with Helium again or stay neutral. Some tribes even consider siding with the First Born, believing they offer salvation from the slow death of Barsoom’s atmosphere and culture. Tars and Carter’s friendship is tested like never before as political factions tear at the fragile unity they once fought to create.
Woola, Carter’s fiercely loyal calot, is back and plays a surprising role as a protector and pathfinder. His senses are attuned to the seismic shifts and he becomes critical in navigating the crumbling terrain and forgotten underground cities.
Sola, Tars Tarkas’ daughter and a devout follower of the old Thark traditions, leads a resistance of her own. She’s investigating the ruins and discovers a terrifying truth: the Therns were merely pawns in a deeper game. The First Born had been manipulating history from the shadows for centuries.
The Journey Underground
To stop the coming war, Carter and his allies must journey deep into the planet’s core. This part of the film shifts tone, turning into a darker, more suspenseful descent into ancient ruins, riddled with traps and hallucinations crafted by the First Born’s mental powers. Here, Carter is stripped of his usual physical dominance. The gravity means nothing. The mind becomes the battlefield.
He begins to experience visions—memories not his own—glimpses into Barsoom’s distant past. These visions reveal that the First Born were once protectors, not conquerors. Something changed them—something they unearthed in their quest for knowledge: a force known as the Voidstone, an artifact of immense psychic power that corrupts even the strongest minds. Ka’Ryx has fused with it, making him nearly unstoppable.
Dejah Thoris Takes the Lead
Dejah Thoris is no damsel in distress this time. She leads the defense of Helium while Carter is gone, outmaneuvering political opponents and military threats alike. She commands fleets, makes hard decisions, and leads a covert mission to sabotage the First Born’s psychic transmitters. Her arc cements her as a true ruler and strategist in her own right.
Through Dejah, we explore Barsoom’s science and lore more deeply. She teams up with Thuvan Dihn, a scientist from Ptarth, and together they begin to understand how to counter the First Born’s mind control using ancient relics and harmonic frequencies that disrupt their psychic field.
The Climax
The final act is a convergence of battles—both physical and mental. Carter confronts Ka’Ryx in the Void Chamber beneath the surface, where the psychic energy is so dense that reality begins to warp. The fight is not about brute force, but willpower. Carter must resist the pull of the Voidstone, which tempts him with visions of a perfect life on both Earth and Barsoom.
Meanwhile, Dejah and the united forces of Helium, Tharks, and even reluctant Zodangans launch an all-out assault on the First Born’s emergence towers. Tars Tarkas sacrifices himself to ensure their collapse, buying time for Carter to make the final move.
In the end, Carter uses the Voidstone not to destroy Ka’Ryx, but to reflect his memories back at him. Ka’Ryx, consumed by centuries of grief and rage, is undone by his own buried guilt. The psychic explosion that follows collapses the underground cities and buries the Voidstone deep within the planet, inaccessible again.
The Aftermath
The war is over, but Barsoom is scarred. Carter chooses to remain on the planet, not as a king or warrior, but as a bridge between civilizations. He begins helping unite the fractured tribes and nations, using knowledge instead of war. Dejah and Carter lead together, with a renewed vision for the planet’s survival.
The final scene teases a future beyond Barsoom. A strange ripple in the sky appears—another signal, not from Mars, but from beyond. Carter looks up, unsure if it means danger or destiny.
Conclusion
John Carter 2: Return to Barsoom expands the mythos of the first film while correcting its tonal missteps. It raises the emotional stakes, matures the characters, and digs deeper into the heart of Barsoom’s ancient mystery. More than just an action film, it explores legacy, memory, and the struggle between power and peace.
It’s a story about finding purpose across worlds—and the price of becoming a legend on a planet not your own.
