Yesterday’s jam-packed DC presentation revealed that James Gunn and Peter Safran are developing a Swamp Thing reboot as part of their first wave of films set in an all-new DC Universe. Now, the movie seems to have found its director. The Hollywood Reporter brings word that James Mangold is currently in talks to helm Swamp Thing for Warner Bros. and DC Studios.
The news comes after Mangold teased his connection to the film last night, when he shared a page from Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson’s acclaimed Swamp Thing run on his Twitter account. Gunn later retweeted the image himself, hinting that Mangold’s involvement was all but a sure thing. Check out the post below.
Fortunately, Mangold has some experience with big-budget comic book adaptations. He previously directed The Wolverine in 2013 and followed this up with Logan in 2017. As a co-writer on the latter, he shared in the film’s Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay with Scott Frank and Michael Green. Mangold is currently finishing work on Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which hits theaters on June 30.
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The last time Swamp Thing showed up onscreen was in 2019, when DC Universe aired its own short-lived live-action series starring Derek Mears as the titular creature and Andy Bean as his human alter-ego, Alec Holland. Despite earning positive reviews, the show was inexplicably cancelled shortly after the premiere of its first episode. Before this, Wes Craven wrote and directed his own Swamp Thing adaptation in 1982, which was followed by a sequel, The Return of Swamp Thing, in 1989. Another live-action series aired for three seasons on USA Network from 1990 until 1993.
During yesterday’s announcements, Gunn and Safran shared that the new movie “investigates the dark origins of Swamp Thing” while staying true to the character’s horrific nature. The film will also have a markedly different tone from other upcoming DC projects. Regardless, they still plan on having Swamp Thing interact with some of the franchise’s other heroes and villains. DC Studios has yet to set a release date for the film.
Do you think Mangold is a good choice to direct Swamp Thing? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book 1
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