James Mangold’s SWAMP THING Movie Gets a Promising Update From DC Studios
It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything about James Mangold’s Swamp Thing movie, but DC Studios has finally offered an encouraging update. The Gothic horror film is still moving forward, and according to DC Studios co-head Peter Safran, the script is currently being written.
Speaking in an interview reported by Deadline, Safran confirmed that the project remains a priority for the studio, saying: “We’re working on it. Absolutely. Yeah, yeah, the script is being written as we speak.”
Safran also explained why the film has taken so long to get off the ground, particularly with a filmmaker like Mangold juggling several major projects.
“All these things take time, and particularly when you have a filmmaker already involved, you got to wait for their window as well.”
Mangold has plenty on his plate, including an upcoming Star Wars project, so scheduling has been a factor. Still, it's good to know that Swamp Thing hasn't been forgotten.
The film was originally announced in January 2023 as part of DC Studios' Chapter One: Gods and Monsters slate. James Gunn later revealed that Mangold was among the first filmmakers he approached about joining the DC Universe.
Mangold signed on to write the screenplay, although he's never officially committed to directing due to potential scheduling conflicts. The hope is that he'll eventually take the director's chair because his vision for the character sounds pretty awesome.
Rather than making another traditional comic book movie, Mangold wants to approach Swamp Thing as a standalone Gothic horror story inspired by classic monster movies. He previously explained:
"While I'm sure DC views Swamp Thing as a franchise, I would be viewing it as a very simple, clean, Gothic horror movie about this man/monster... Just doing my own thing with this, just a standalone."
Mangold has been interested in making a Frankenstein-inspired movie for years, and he sees Swamp Thing as the perfect opportunity to explore that idea.
He's also drawn comparisons to the original RoboCop and his own Logan, particularly their stories about characters struggling to understand what they've become.
The filmmaker explained: “It’s no different speech than anyone else gets with me; I don’t have any agenda for a universe, I’m not building towards someone joining in some future. Have at it, but I’d just be interested in telling, I’ve always been interested in doing a version of Frankenstein, basically, and, yet,
“I feel, ‘It’s alive!’ has been done enough, but Swamp Thing always occurred to me as this wonderful version of a Frankenstein story, much in the way one of my favorite pop films of growing up, RoboCop, the original one.
“This guy who just wakes up and he’s been turned into, he finds he’s become this machine, was also something I was fascinated with with Logan, obviously.”
That approach could make for a very different kind of DC movie, with Mangold focusing on the psychological horror of a man discovering he's been transformed into something monstrous.
He's described his vision as a “noir, mystery, horror film about a guy who wakes up and he’s this thing.” Mangold elaborated on that idea, saying:
“There’s an amnesiac quality of, ‘How did I get here and who did this to me?’ So I’m envisioning a horror-noir film following a creature that can’t be seen, trying to piece together from fragments of memories, what happened and who did it.
“And none of this runs counter to the Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson and all the great work that went on...I’m just framing it up in a new movie context, but that’s all they were exploring in these comics and so beautifully.”
It's a cool direction for the character, especially since Mangold wants to lean into the tragedy, mystery, and horror that have made Swamp Thing such an interesting part of DC Comics.
Gunn previously described the project as “a very dark horror story” that explores the character's origins. While the film will exist within the larger DCU, it's expected to have its own distinct tone rather than follow the usual superhero formula.
There are still plenty of unanswered questions surrounding Swamp Thing. No casting announcements have been made, and DC Studios hasn't revealed when production might begin.
For now, the fact that the script is actively being developed is encouraging. Mangold has a strong track record with character-driven storytelling, and giving him the freedom to make a creepy, tragic monster movie within the DC Universe sounds like a great idea.
Hopefully, his schedule clears up so he can bring this thing to life. Would you be excited to see Mangold's Gothic horror take on Swamp Thing?