Elon Musk Is Humanity’s Last Great Hope, and That’s Terrifying

“Hey, for your information, I happen to be humanity’s last great hope,” says Cale Tucker in Titan A.E., a sci-fi movie where humanity teeters on the edge of extinction, and the survival of the species hinges on a reluctant hero and a hidden spacecraft called the Titan. It’s a story about ambition, action, and redemption. But in the moment Cale declares his importance, he’s met with Preed’s dry retort: “I weep for the species.”

If that exchange doesn’t already feel painfully relevant to the real world, consider Elon Musk—the billionaire who has spent decades positioning himself as a modern-day Cale Tucker. From Tesla to SpaceX to Neuralink, Musk has promised to solve humanity’s biggest existential crises, often declaring himself the only one bold enough to do so.

But unlike Cale, who eventually rises to the occasion, Musk seems perpetually stuck in that first act. For every ambitious goal, there’s a string of missed deadlines, ethical lapses, and chaotic distractions. If Musk is humanity’s last great hope, we might, like Preed, start wondering: "Just out of curiosity, do we have a plan B?"

Musk’s Grand Promises Look Better on Paper

Like the Titan Project in Titan A.E., Musk’s ventures promise to solve humanity’s biggest existential challenges. Tesla aims to decarbonize the planet, SpaceX envisions a multiplanetary future, and Neuralink offers to protect us from the rise of AI.

These ideas are undeniably bold. They are the kinds of ambitions that make headlines and inspire awe. But the reality is more complicated. Musk’s projects often fall short of their promises, mired in delays, controversies, and a striking lack of accountability. The question isn’t whether Musk dreams big—it’s whether those dreams are anything more than a distraction from the work humanity really needs to do.

Tesla Was the Earthbound Savior Until It Wasn’t

Tesla is Musk’s crown jewel, and its accomplishments are undeniable. It turned electric vehicles into a status symbol, forced legacy automakers to rethink their strategies, and remains the world’s most valuable car company.

But Musk’s record at Tesla is as flawed as it is impressive. For every Cybertruck and Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature, there’s a broken promise or ethical dilemma.

Cybertruck Keeps Missing the Mark

When Musk unveiled the Cybertruck in 2019, it looked like it had been plucked straight out of a sci-fi universe. Production was slated for 2021. Now, in 2025, Cybertruck deliveries are happening at a snail’s pace, with only a fraction of the promised units rolling off production lines. What was once a vision of the future has become a symbol of Musk’s tendency to overpromise and underdeliver.

Full Self-Driving Is Forever “Next Year”

Musk has been promising fully autonomous Tesla vehicles since 2016. Nearly a decade later, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software remains in beta, requiring driver oversight and raising serious safety concerns. Multiple crashes have been linked to the technology, and regulators are scrutinizing its implementation.

The Environmental Contradictions

Tesla’s reliance on lithium-ion batteries has come under fire for its environmental impact. Mining lithium is a resource-intensive process that devastates ecosystems, particularly in South America’s “lithium triangle.” For a company built on the promise of saving the planet, Tesla’s environmental contradictions remain a glaring oversight.

SpaceX Is Humanity’s Escape Hatch, but the Door Is Jammed

If Tesla is Musk’s attempt to save Earth, SpaceX is his plan to escape it. The company’s reusable rockets have revolutionized space travel, cutting costs and reigniting public interest in exploration. But Musk’s larger vision—colonizing Mars to make humanity a “multiplanetary species”—remains more fantasy than reality.

Starship Is Stuck on the Launch Pad

Central to Musk’s Mars ambitions is the Starship program, which aims to develop a fully reusable spacecraft capable of carrying humans to another planet. Yet the program has been riddled with setbacks. A test launch in 2023 ended in an explosion, and regulatory delays have further slowed progress.

Mars as a Convenient Obsession

Critics, including astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, have questioned the practicality of Musk’s Mars plans. Establishing a sustainable colony on the red planet would require enormous resources and pose immense risks. As Tyson points out, why not invest those resources in solving Earth’s problems first?

Neuralink Is What Happens When Science Gets Rushed

Neuralink is Musk’s most sci-fi venture, promising to merge humans with AI and revolutionize neuroscience. But while its goals are ambitious, the execution has raised red flags.

The Ethics of Neuralink’s Testing

Reports have revealed that Neuralink’s experiments led to the deaths of over 1,500 animals, including monkeys and pigs, due to rushed testing. Critics argue that Musk’s aggressive timelines prioritize speed over ethics, turning Neuralink into a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked ambition.

Human Trials Are Still on Hold

Musk promised human trials for Neuralink by 2020, but the FDA only approved the company’s application in 2023 after rejecting earlier submissions over safety concerns. This pattern of overpromising and underdelivering has become a hallmark of Musk’s ventures.

Do We Have a Plan B?

Preed’s sarcastic line—“Just out of curiosity: do we have a plan B?”—comes during a moment of peril in Titan A.E.when the crew faces the possibility of their mission failing entirely. It’s a question humanity must ask today as we pin our hopes on one man’s ego-driven projects.

In Titan A.E., the Titan Project was humanity’s Plan B, created not by one genius but by a collective of people working together for a shared goal. The Titan succeeds because of teamwork, trust, and sacrifice—qualities Musk’s ventures often lack.

While Korso reminds us that humans “travel in packs,” Musk seems more interested in hunting us—metaphorically—through relentless profit-driven ventures, chaotic leadership, and a cult of personality. His ventures feel less like genuine solutions and more like spectacles designed to fuel his mythos.

Preed’s question about Plan B isn’t just a throwaway line—it’s a warning. Unlike the Titan crew, Musk doesn’t collaborate to solve problems. He builds narratives that glorify his genius while the rest of us wait for results that never seem to come.

Cale Saved Humanity. Musk Is Still Tweeting About It

Cale Tucker doesn’t save humanity by declaring himself its last great hope—he does it by taking action, working with others, and delivering when it matters most. Elon Musk, on the other hand, seems content to play the role of a self-proclaimed savior without the follow-through.

If humanity’s future depends on bold action and collaboration, it’s clear we can’t wait for Musk to save us. Like the crew of the Titan, we need to work together to build a future worth fighting for.

Because while Cale saved humanity, Musk? He’s still tweeting about it.