Back when the first phase of the DCU was announced, James Gunn and Peter Safran unveiled a sprawling vision for a world that could house a wide range of projects, from typical superhero fare to comedic features and even horror. On that latter end was Swamp Thing, an exploration of the titular human/plant monster’s dark origin story written and directed by James Mangold as a standalone addition to the universe. The new cinematic franchise is now starting to bear fruit with Superman and Creature Commandos, though news about the gothic and gooey tale has been harder to come by. It’s been largely lost in the shuffle as other projects have taken precedence, but Gunn hasn’t forgotten about the bio-chemical amalgamation that once was Alec Holland.
In a wide-ranging conversation with Josh Horowitz for the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Gunn was directly asked about a long line of previously announced DCU projects, including Mangold‘s Swamp Thing. The last we heard about the film was earlier this year, when the Logan helmer discussed the creative process of trying to find something new and creative to say with the character’s lore, rather than being “handcuffed” by it. According to Gunn, that process has yet to generate anything tangible, though. Mangold has a lot on his plate at the moment, coming off of last year’s A Complete Unknown, which, itself, delayed work on his Star Wars prequel script.
Despite the challenges, there are at least conversations happening about making the horror hero project a reality. “We talked to James the other day,” Gunn said. “No, he hasn’t delivered a script. He’s been distracted by his billions of movies [Laughs]. But I think… We’re talking about it again, so…” The director sounded somewhat hopeful that progress on Swamp Thing could pick up before too long, though with both DC and Mangold tied up in a wide array of projects, there’s no immediate need to make something happen. Recently, it was revealed that a Wonder Woman movie had been fast-tracked at the studio after Superman‘s success, with Gunn reportedly considering ideas for spin-off shows that could include Skyler Gisondo‘s Jimmy Olsen and Edi Gathegi‘s Mister Terrific. That all comes in addition to Peacemaker Season 2, which arrives in just over a month, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow next year, and other projects like Lanterns, Brave and the Bold, and Sgt. Rock on the horizon.
What Is the History of ‘Swamp Thing’?
Whenever Swamp Thing arrives, it will be a welcome chance for the tragic character to shine on the big screen. Debuting in 1971 from writer Len Wein and horror artist Bernie Wrightson, the character has had his fair share of adaptations that either have gone unheralded or, in the case of the 2019 series, arguably ended too soon. The comics have depicted two versions of Swamp Thing, the most popular of which is Alec Holland, a scientist who had just created a revolutionary Bio-Restorative Formula and was seemingly killed by hired thugs who planted a bomb in his lab in the Louisiana swampland. When he ran into the swamp to douse the flames, however, the formula did its magic, creating a hulking mass of plant life that absorbed his consciousness and gave him mastery over plant life. Mangold has imagined his version as a Frankenstein story with a touch that’ll make it stand out as uniquely his. Though it’s been billed as a standalone story, it remains to be seen whether the DCU could integrate other characters connected to the monster, like his tenuous ally John Constantine or other Justice League Dark members.
Swamp Thing is still a long way from seeing the big screen.
via Collider