When Tom Hanks imagines the future, you might think he sees a desk strewn with Oscars, Emmys and the scripts for a dozen more World War II projects. But the far-flung earth that Mr. Hanks will present in a new Internet-based animated series called “Electric City” will be a more complicated one and yet  not surprisingly, given its creator  an optimistic one.

“Without a doubt, everything has changed, but not necessarily for the worst,” Mr. Hanks said, describing that world in a telephone interview. “In fact, a good life and good world has been created out of the usual end-of-life scenarios. It hasn’t degenerated into an Orwellian society  just the opposite.”

On Thursday Mr. Hanks and his producing partner, Gary Goetzman, said their Playtone company will bring “Electric City” to the Web early next year. The project, which its creators hope will eventually be spun off into other media, may also offer a preview of Hollywood’s future: it is being produced as a joint venture with Reliance Big Entertainment, a media company in India that is playing a growing role in global entertainment properties.

And with its A-list credentials, “Electric City” may be an indicator of renewed activity in the field of episodic digital content, after previous efforts met with little financial success.