When DC Studios co-head James Gunn revealed the first phase of the DC Universe, “Gods and Monsters,” in early 2023, one of the movies he announced was Swamp Thing. Set to be helmed by Logan director James Mangold, Swamp Thing was envisioned as a Gothic horror movie that took cues from titles such as Frankenstein. While the project has a lot of promise, there’s been a lack of concrete updates over the past couple of years. In the meantime, Mangold has made a new career movie, agreeing to a deal with Paramount that will see him produce and direct features for the studio. DC fans feared that development could spell the end for Swamp Thing, but Gunn has cleared things up.
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Speaking with Rolling Stone, Gunn confirmed that Swamp Thing remains in development even after Mangold’s deal with Paramount. “We’ve talked to him. He’s still invested,” Gunn said. “So we’ll see. Some things take a long time. We’ll see what happens.”
When Could Swamp Thing Be Released?
Even though Swamp Thing is still on the table, it doesn’t appear to be a priority for Mangold. His next film looks to be High Side, a crime drama starring Timothée Chalamet. Prior to inking Mangold to his current deal, Paramount won a bidding war for High Side, so the studio likely doesn’t want to let that project linger for too long. Additionally, Mangold has teased that Paramount is onboard with his “ideas for future projects,” which could have an impact on Swamp Thing‘s development. If any of those ideas progress quickly, Swamp Thing could get pushed further on the back burner.
Interestingly, DC Studios is reportedly only targeting 1-2 theatrical releases per year, an illustration of its commitment to quality over quantity. The next two years will see a total of four DC Studios movies hit theaters; Supergirl and Clayface debut in 2026, while Man of Tomorrow and The Batman Part II open in 2027 (the latter is still a DC Studios production even though it’s not part of the DCU). Theoretically, that means the earliest Swamp Thing could arrive is 2028, but DC Studios has several other films in various stages of development, including a new Wonder Woman movie and the Batman feature The Brave and the Bold. Nothing beyond The Batman Part II in October 2027 has been added to the official release schedule.
A lot will depend on when the Swamp Thing script is complete. As Gunn has said numerous times in the past, DC Studios will not begin production on a film or TV show unless there’s a finished script in place that Gunn is happy with. The important thing is that nobody is rushing Swamp Thing to meet a specific predetermined release date. Gunn understands how things can change during the development process, so he’s remaining flexible and is open to changing the DCU plan. As intriguing as Swamp Thing sounds on paper, it’s better to take extra time to ensure everything is in place.
The DCU isn’t the only franchise Mangold is developing a film for, either. His Star Wars movie, Dawn of the Jedi, was announced back in 2023 and similarly hasn’t made much progress. If Mangold’s deal with Paramount didn’t kill Swamp Thing, it stands reason to believe Dawn of the Jedi is still alive as well, and there’s no telling when that film could move forward. Mangold has a full dance card at the moment, so viewers might not see Swamp Thing until the end of this decade or some time in the 2030s — especially if Dawn of the Jedi comes to fruition faster.
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