Considering all of the environmental concerns and fears out there right now, it was really only a matter of time. Sony Pictures is nearing a deal to acquire the rights to turn the hit ’90s cartoon Captain Planet and the Planeteers into a feature film.

The series followed five teens from around the world who are given magical rings by the Earth spirit Gaia (voiced first by Whoopie Goldberg and then by Margot Kidder) that give each a special power related to something specific. They include Kwame (voiced by LeVar Burton) from Africa (Earth!), Wheeler from North America (Fire!), Linka from Eastern Europe (Wind!), Gi from Asia (Water!), and Ma-Ti from South America (Heart!). And when these five powers combine, they summon the mighty superhero himself, Captain Planet!

Continue reading for more, and for a healthy shot of nostalgia in the form of the show’s opening and end credits theme song.

Captain Planet and the Planeteers
Season One
DVD
Starring Levar Burton, Whoopie Goldberg, Meg Ryan, Martin Sheen, Ed Asner, and Jeff Goldblum
Shout! Factory
Release Date: April 19, 2011

The eco-conscious ’90s are revisited in this collection of Season One of Captain Planet and the Planeteers. In this collection, viewers are introduced to the Planeteers, a group of teens chosen by Gaia, the Spirit of the Earth, to defend the Earth from environmental villains. The Planeteers are a multicultural bunch that includes Kwame from Africa, Wheeler from America, Linka from Eastern Europe, Gi from Asia, and Ma-Ti from Brazil.

As a Reading Rainbow and Roots fan, I remember being happy that Levar Burton was included in the cast as the voice of Kwame. I was also a fan of the original voice of Gaia, Whoopi Goldberg. Sadly, Goldberg and several of the original voice actors for the eco villains would be replaced in later seasons. In Season One, however, we have the voice talents of Meg Ryan (Dr. Blight), Jeff Goldblum (Verminous Skumm), Martin Sheen (Sly Sludge), John Ratzenberger (Rigger), and Ed Asner (Hoggish Greedly). This all-star gathering gave the show legitimacy and made watching the series more exciting. After I read the credits, I began playing a guessing game and trying to match the celebrity voice with the eco-villain.