The DCU’s horror-inspired movie Swamp Thing is in its early stages of development at DC Studios. Created in 1971 for DC Comics’ House of Secrets #92, the human-turned-monster Swamp Thing has become a staple of DC’s horror-inspired gallery of characters. There are various human characters who have transformed into Swamp Thing – all connected to the elemental force called “the Green” – but the most famous one is the scientist Alex Holland, who quite literally becomes one with nature when he submerges himself in the Louisiana swamplands after an explosion left him on the brink of death.

Despite not being as famous as most DC characters who have starred in movies and TV shows, Swamp Thing has already been played by various live-action actors, starting with 1982’s Swamp Thing, directed by A Nightmare on Elm Street director Wes Craven. Swamp Thing’s 1982 film adaptation was received positively enough to spawn a sequel, Jim Wynorski’s more comedic and lighthearted The Return of the Swamp Thing. The character also starred in the 1990 three-season Swamp Thing TV show broadcasted on ABC, and in the 2019 10-episode Swamp Thing streaming series released on the short-lived DC Universe video-on-demand service.

Swamp Thing Recent News

James Mangold’s Vision For The Film

Since the movie was first announced in James Gunn’s initial reveal of the DCU slate, Swamp Thing has gotten very few updates, with the most notable one being that James Mangold will be directing the film. With Mangold focusing on promoting his newest film, A Complete Unknown, he spoke to Movieweb, who asked him about Swamp Thing. He talked about the vision for the film and how it might fit within the larger DCU, stating:

“With other kinds of IP, it gets to a religious level. While I’m sure DC views Swamp Thing as a franchise, I would be viewing it as a very simple, clean, Gothic horror movie about this man/monster… Just doing my own thing with this, just a standalone.”

Swamp Thing Movie Confirmed

Swamp Thing Is Part Of James Gunn’s DC Universe Slate

Swamp Thing is part of the DCU’s first chapter тιтled “Gods and Monsters”, having been announced by James Gunn himself in January 2023 alongside other projects such as The Authority, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Lanterns, and Paradise Lost. In his announcement, James Gunn mentioned that although Swamp Thing is “tonally outside of the rest of the DCU, it will still feed into the rest of the stories.” Swamp Thing appears to be the darkest installment in the DCU’s slate, and its premise and protagonist fit the second half of the тιтle “Gods and Monsters” quite well.

Swamp Thing Movie Director Confirmed

Logan Director James Mangold Is Actively Working On Swamp Thing

On February 1st, 2023, just one day after James Gunn’s DCU announcement, it was reported that James Mangold would direct Swamp Thing. Soon after, James Mangold confirmed that he would helm the DCU’s Swamp Thing, joining James Gunn and The Brave and the Bold‘s Andy Muschietti in the blooming list of DCU directors.

James Mangold’s filmography includes the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line and the modern western 3:10 to Yuma, as well as The Wolverine and the highly acclaimed Logan. Speaking to Variety in June 2023, James Mangold revealed that he’s approaching Swamp Thing as a standalone movie rather than a franchise installment.

Swamp Thing Movie Production Status

Swamp Thing May Still Be In Early Writing Stages

Little information about Swamp Thing‘s production has been made public. However, director James Mangold has discussed his ideas for the script, which suggests that Swamp Thing is still in the writing stage. In an episode of the Happy Sad Confused Podcast in June 2023, James Mangold described Swamp Thing as “a kind of horror noir film” that focuses on the тιтular monster’s attempts to recover the memories of his former self.

Swamp Thing Story Details

Swamp Thing May Be An Origin Story Centered Around Alec Holland

Little is known about Swamp Thing‘s plot beyond James Mangold’s comments about his approach to the character’s tone and inner conflict. However, the fact that Mangold is focusing on the character’s amnesia and search for idenтιтy suggests that Swamp Thing will be an origin story.

In the source material, Swamp Thing believes he merely transformed into a monster, but in reality, Alec Holland actually died and the swamp itself absorbed his memories and gained an anthropomorphic body. Instead of a traditional “hero vs villain” story, James Mangold’s Swamp Thing might center around the philosophical dilemma that such an origin story entails.

How Swamp Thing Connects To The DCU

Standalone Film That Is Still In The Main DCU

Since it was first announced, Swamp Thing was always planned to be part of the DCU, and that doesn’t seem to change, given the character could be an important window into the “Dark” side of the universe. One of the main selling points of the film so far is how its tone will differ from other projects in the DCU, with the horror aspects of the project seeming to be a big focus.

With director James Mangold talking about the standalone nature of Swamp Thing, it might throw people off about how much it will connect with the DCU or if it will even be part of the main universe. Gunn has repeatedly said that projects in the DCU won’t necessarily set up other projects down the line, with the main focus of each movie or show being about making it the best it can be. Swamp Thing will obviously be part of the larger universe, but should stand on its own.

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