How Andy Weir Feels About The Comparisons Between The Martian And MacGyver

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Say "MacGyver," and most people will immediately have a rough idea of what you mean (unless they're one of the young doctors on "The Pitt," anyway). Or, at the very least, they will know that classic TV character Angus MacGyver had a knack for fashioning complex devices with little more than duct tape and a pocket knife. Played by Richard Dean Anderson on the original "MacGyver" TV show and Lucas Till on the 2010s reboot series, Mr. MacGyver is a crafty individual. The "MacGyver" property itself also has a few things in common with a beloved blockbuster science fiction movie.

"The Martian" is a thrilling survival tale of human perseverance and ingenuity. Based on Andy Weir's novel of the same name, it takes place during a mission to Mars when astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead and left behind by his crewmates. But Watney is still alive and must find a way to contact Earth so NASA can devise a plan to bring him safely home. Watney's survival requires a ridiculous amount of ingenuity, though, including figuring out how to grow food in the Martian dirt.

In a February 2014 interview with Paul Semel, more than 12 months before "The Martian" made the jump from the printed page to the big screen, Weir discussed the comparisons that had been made between his novel and "MacGyver." As it turned out, any such comparisons didn't bother Weir one bit. Here's what he had to say about it:

"I wasn't surprised at all. Mark is a very resourceful guy coming up with very resourceful solutions. I would have been surprised if people hadn't compared him to MacGyver. And I'm not annoyed by it at all. Being favorably compared to a great show like 'MacGyver' is a compliment."

The original "MacGyver" debuted in 1985 and ultimately aired for seven seasons on ABC. Then, almost a quarter century after it ended, CBS rebooted the show in 2016. That iteration was also successful, running for five seasons. Both TV versions of "MacGyver" had an identical premise to boot, with the titular character frequently solving complex problems by making complicated devices out of ordinary objects.

Similarly, Mark Watney had to MacGyver his way through life on Mars until he's eventually rescued. Granted, he had more to work with than a Swiss Army Knife and duct tape, but it's not difficult to see why the comparisons were made.

Director Ridley Scott and star Matt Damon shot "The Martian" at breakneck speed, with the "Alien" filmmaker not wasting his time doing 90 takes of a single scene or anything like that. It's one of the better case scenarios when it comes to adapting a beloved book for the big screen. The movie was met with widespread acclaim, going on to make $630 million at the box office. It remains one of the most successful films of both Scott and Damon's careers.

Andy Weir, meanwhile, has only continued to enjoy a rewarding career since then. Indeed, his 2021 book "Project Hail Mary" became yet another best-seller that inspired a critically and commercially successful film adaptation (with Ryan Gosling in the lead role). One could even argue there are some MacGyver elements at play in that one as well. As for the future? Weir's next book may tackle a hot button issue, namely artificial intelligence.

You can grab "The Martian" on 4K, Blu-ray, or DVD on Amazon.