Taylor Kitsch Doesn’t See John Carter as a Failure

Disney+’s launch has led to a whole bunch of conversations around a bunch of older properties that some fans are discovering for the first time. One property that Disney has basically swept under the rug is Andrew Stanton’s John Carter from earlier this decade. The movie was a bit of a flop (slight understatement on my part) and most of the people involved still wear some of that responsibility around the film. Taylor Kitsch had a chance to talk to The Hollywood Reporter about his part in the film and how he reflects on it now. Surprisingly, people have rediscovered the movie on Netflix and on the Internet in recent years. Some of that initial bad press wore off and people could enjoy the film for what it was instead of comparing it to other action/adventure films. For his part, Kitsch sounds at peace with how all that went down and says that he has learned a lot from the experience.

“I think it got another life when it went on Netflix not long ago, maybe a year ago or something, but, yes, to be blunt,” he responded when asked about the film. “People stop me all the time for that, especially in Europe. It’s had a little mini-resurgence. Maybe, at the time, it was more of a knee-jerk reaction of ‘Let’s see how we can bury this and everyone that has a part in it.’”

Kitsch continues, “Over time, I think you take a breath and understand that it is what it is … I guess people who watch it now for the first time can take a lot more away from it than people did at first. It’s always flattering, and I learned a ton on that movie. I honestly don’t see it as a failure. I have great memories from it, and I still talk to a bunch of the cast. It is what it is, right?”

This is an admirable admission from the actor. Most people might bear some resentment toward the company and the press for taking their work to task. But, Kitsch seems to have really grown a lot and even keeps in contact with the other members of the cast. What’s more, he’s in the highly-entertaining 21 Bridges this year and that shows that there is still demand for his talent out there.

It was revealed after the movie’s run, that there were plans for at least two more movies in the John Carter franchise. Fans continue to wonder what could have been with the franchise. Among the marketing missteps around the film was the decision to cut “of Mars” out of the title. People need to be able to digest what a movie is going to be about from the title and trailer. Some may have found the entire package confusing. Still, maybe there is hope for the story to live on with another streaming service or project down the line.