Thomas Haden Church (who played the Sandman in Spider-Man 3), James Purefoy (who starred as the title character in the blessedly short-lived NBC series The Philanthropist) and Mark Strong (who is in the upcoming Sherlock Holmes) have joined the cast of Disney’s John Carter of Mars, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Andrew Stanton is directing the adaptation of the Edgar Rice Burroughs book which stars Taylor Kitsch (who portrayed Gambit in X-Men Origins: Wolverine) in the title role and and Lynn Collins as Dejah Thoris.

The character of John Carter, a Confederate veteran who finds himself transported to the red planet and a world of adventure, first appeared in Burroughs’ novel A Princess of Mars, leading to 10 other novels in the series.