Well, that was quick. Just about 24 hours after the unveiling of the DC Studios “Chapter 1” slate of five films and five series, we already have news regarding the filmmaker behind one of the new features. But honestly, James Mangold kinda spilled the beans already, and it was just a matter of putting two and two together.
According to THR, James Mangold is in talks to write and direct the just-announced “Swamp Thing” feature film. Again, this isn’t so much news, as it is a confirmation. You see, late last night, after the announcement of DC Studios’ future, Mangold posted an image from a “Swamp Thing” comic book. No, there wasn’t a caption or anything overtly saying he was working on it. But the timing was fairly obvious. Not only that, weeks ago, there were reports floating around that one of the filmmakers James Gunn and Peter Safran were talking to regarding future projects was Mangold. So, again, simple math.
Not much is known about the “Swamp Thing” feature. Really, we only have what James Gunn hinted at in his presentation of the features. When talking about “Swamp Thing,” he made certain to emphasize the horror nature of the character and how that will be the tone of the film. Obviously, that makes sense given the lore of the comics. In the books, “Swamp Thing” tells the story of Dr. Alec Holland, who was injured during an accident and found himself miraculously turning into the Swamp Thing, an anti-hero who has the powers of, well, the swamp. Over the decades since the character’s introduction, more of the lore has been fleshed out, especially in the case of Alan Moore’s work (he is, of course, the man who created “Watchmen”). In Moore’s version of the character, Swamp Thing is a mythical monster who absorbs the consciousness of Holland, so the human is fully dead and through plant biology is recreated as the swamp entity. To say that there’s a strong body horror element is an understatement.
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Mangold is a great filmmaker for DC Studios to nab, also. Currently, he’s working on “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” However, before that, he is probably best known for his Marvel film, “Logan,” which many consider being one of the best in the genre. So, clearly, fans will be excited to see what Mangold can bring to “Swamp Thing.”
There’s no release date set for “Swamp Thing.” However, with “Superman: Legacy” being the first film of the new DC Studios to get released, in July 2025, it’s highly unlikely we’ll see “Swamp Thing” before the end of 2025. So, we’re still pretty far off.
