Princess of Mars 2009

John Carter, Antonio Sabàto, Jr., is a modern-day U.S. Army sniper stationed in Afghanistan, wounded in the line of duty and used in a teleportation experiment that sends him to Barsoom, a distant planet in the Alpha Centauri system, far from Earth, where he discovers an astonishing ability to leap incredible distances. There, he is initially enslaved by the Tharks, a formidable green-skinned warrior race, but his combat prowess earns him a place among them and allies him with their people as he navigates a hostile new world. He forms a fragile bond with Dejah Thoris, the human-looking princess who stands at the center of their rivalries, and Carter’s unexpected mercy saves her life, setting in motion a connection that transcends species and factions.

The tribe’s leadership falls to Tars Tarkas, Matt Lasky, who escorts Carter to the Thark capital and to their stern leader Tal Hajus, guarded by Tarkas’ daughter Sola, Noelle Perris. Carter learns that Tarkas granted him a military rank that only Hajus can confer, a revelation that sparks tension and propels a duel between Carter and Hajus. Carter emerges the victor in this ritualized clash, yet the trials do not end there, as he soon faces Sarka, an Afghan mercenary, Chacko Vadaketh who had betrayed him earlier. When Sarka escapes, Carter joins Tarkas in a dangerous maneuver to kill Hajus and tilt Barsoom’s balance of power, a decisive turn that ushers in a new era of leadership among the Tharks.

Meanwhile, Carter learns that Dejah Thoris has fled to the planetary air-cleaning station that keeps Barsoom breathable, a lifeline that Sarka damages, threatening the entire world’s atmosphere. The two sides clash again in a high-stakes confrontation, and although Sarka seems poised to gain the upper hand, he is ultimately felled when an insect interrupts the duel. With the station reactivated, Barsoom’s air is stabilized, and Carter is returned to Earth. Back home, he chooses not to reveal his otherworldly escapades to his superiors, fearing a push to colonize Barsoom, and he resumes his military duties while holding onto the quiet hope that one day he may find a way back to the world he left behind.