Swamp Thing: James Mangold Teases Involvement in DC Studios Movie

The just-announced Swamp Thing movie for DC Studios may already have a director attached, thanks to a tweet from James Mangold. DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran finally shared the first chapter of the new DC Universe on Tuesday, which is being called Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters. It came with the announcement that five movies and five TV shows will be in its initial offering, with one of the five movies starring the supernatural Swamp Thing. While no directors have officially been tied to any of the big-screen projects, Mangold is at least sharing his enthusiasm for the character on social media.

James Mangold shared a page from Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson’s run acclaimed run on Swamp Thing. The full-page illustration shows Swamp Thing standing in the marsh with the sun setting in the background. He’s looking back over his right shoulder at the reader, and a caption box at the bottom of the page reads, “Like one, who on a lonely road doth walk in fear and dread… and having once turned round, walks on… and turns no more his head… because he knows a frightful fiend doth close behind him tread.”

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Swamp Thing Will Be Dark, According to James Gunn

The live-action Swamp Thing project for DC Studios was one of the many projects James Gunn discussed during his and Peter Safran’s presentation to the press. This version of the character will owe more to the horror comics from which he is descended than the campy and adventure-driven movies and TV show that made him a household name in the 1980s and ’90s. Not unlike the short-lived 2019 TV series, this version of Swamp Thing will be explicitly tied into the fabric of the DC Universe.

Gunn promised that Swamp Thing would bring a dark tone and a distinctive voice for the filmmakers — two things that some fans have worried would be scarce in an increasingly-connected DC Universe. Prior to the failure of Justice League, those were the elements that most differentiated Warner Bros.’ DC movies from those at Marvel, after all. 

“The final film we want to talk about is Swamp Thing,” Gunn said during his presentation. “And we bring it up because it’s important to point out that in these stories, although interconnected, they’re not all tonally the same. Each set of filmmakers brings their own aesthetic to these films, and the fun is seeing how these tonally different works mash up in the future. This is a film that will investigate the dark origins of Swamp Thing.”

Will James Mangold Direct Swamp Thing?

It remains to be seen whether James Mangold was teasing his involvement with Swamp Thing, or merely sharing his appreciation for the character. Swamp Thing will join Superman: Legacy, The Authority, The Brave and The Bold, and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow in Chapter 1 of the DC Universe.

For now, Mangold is staying busy preparing for the release of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the fifth movie in the Indiana Jones franchise. It’s set to be released this summer on June 30th.

Make sure to let us know your thoughts on James Mangold, Swamp Thing, and the DC Universe in the comments.