“John Carter 2: The Gods of Mars” is a sweeping sci-fi adventure and the much-anticipated sequel to the 2012 film John Carter. Returning to the dying planet of Barsoom (Mars), this second chapter continues the saga of the Earth-born hero as he faces new perils, uncovers ancient secrets, and battles for the soul of a world on the brink of destruction.
The story begins ten years after the events of the first film. John Carter, now reunited with his beloved Dejah Thoris, has embraced his role as Prince of Helium. However, peace is fragile on Barsoom, and a dark power stirs beneath the surface. When a mysterious signal from the forbidden Valley Dor disrupts the balance of power, Carter is drawn into a new quest—one that challenges everything he thought he knew about Barsoom’s history, its religion, and its so-called gods.
Carter’s journey begins when he and Tars Tarkas, the loyal Thark warrior, investigate the River Iss, the sacred path that leads Martians to the afterlife. For centuries, the people of Barsoom have believed that death leads to paradise through the Valley Dor, but Carter discovers a horrifying truth: the pilgrims are being enslaved and devoured by a sadistic race of white-skinned, telepathic beings known as the Therns and their even more terrifying allies, the Plant Men.
Separated from Tars during an ambush, Carter awakens in a hidden prison deep within the labyrinthine caves of Dor. There, he meets a fellow prisoner—Xodar, a Black Martian warrior from the feared First Born race who serves the Therns. Surprisingly, Carter earns Xodar’s respect through combat, and the two forge a fragile alliance. They escape together, traversing the perilous underground realms to uncover the truth behind the Therns’ godlike powers.
Meanwhile, Dejah Thoris, presumed dead after a failed political assassination attempt, is secretly alive and held captive by the Therns, who plan to use her as a pawn in a larger scheme to restore their control over Barsoom. Unknown to Carter, his return to Barsoom and his exposure of the false religion threatens the ancient, hidden order that has ruled in the shadows for millennia. The Therns, seeing him as a destabilizing force, seek to eliminate him once and for all.
As Carter and Xodar escape the Valley Dor and make their way back to Helium, they face hostility from all sides. Barsoom’s ruling cities, bound by centuries of religious dogma, now see Carter as a heretic and traitor. Even Helium’s leaders hesitate to believe his claims. Only Tars Tarkas and a young Heliumite soldier, Kantos Kan, remain loyal.Carter’s return ignites a civil war—between those who worship the Therns and those willing to rise against them. Xodar reveals a hidden truth: the Black Martians, once believed to be demons, are actually victims of the Therns as well. They were bred and manipulated to serve as enforcers, all while being told they were the chosen race.Determined to liberate Barsoom, Carter leads a daring mission to the secret stronghold of the Therns. In a climactic battle beneath the surface of the planet, he faces the High Priest of the Therns, Matai Shang, a cunning and powerful telepath. Their battle is as much mental as it is physical, with Carter resisting powerful illusions and mind-control. With help from Dejah, who escapes her captors during the chaos, and Tars Tarkas’ Thark warriors, Carter defeats the Therns and exposes their lies to the people of Barsoom.The film ends on a hopeful but uncertain note. The ancient religion of Barsoom has been shattered, and the planet must forge a new path forward. Carter, though victorious, realizes that peace will not come easily. Old prejudices remain, and new threats loom on the horizon. But for the first time in centuries, Barsoom has a chance at unity—thanks to a man from Earth.Dejah and Carter, now reunited, stand on the towers of Helium and look out over the crimson plains. The stars above shimmer with possibility, and Carter knows his journey on Barsoom is far from over.
