Swamp Thing: James Mangold in early talks to helm DC’s monstrous superhero movie

James Mangold is in early talks to helm Swamp Thing for DC based on the supernatural horror comic book series.

Swamp Thing, James Mangold, DCU

Wow! That was fast! Reports indicate Logan and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny director James Mangold is in early talks to direct Swamp Thing for DC Studios. In Deadline‘s report, the outlet emphasizes nothing is set in stone, and the project hasn’t even reached the scripting stage yet. Mangold is a long-time fan of the character. Furthermore, DC is excited to speak with him about possibly directing a supernatural horror film for DC’s upcoming reboot of its cinematic universe.

Early Wednesday morning, Mangold tweeted an image of Swamp Thing, which James Gunn retweeted, immediately sparking fan theories about a possible collaboration.

Swamp Thing is part of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s plans to reboot the DCU into an interconnected universe of films, television series, video games, and more. In 2019, DC launched a Swamp Thing television series, only to find it canceled five days after the first episode debuted. According to an anonymous source, Swamp Thing‘s cancelation was a surprise. Rumors about financial troubles circulated as a reason for the show’s cancelation, though others say the demolishing of the DC Universe streaming service is to blame. Sadly, fans say Swamp Thing was good, and the show returned to the much from whence it came far too soon.

Meanwhile, Mangold is working hard on Searchlight’s Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, starring Timothée Chalamet as the famed musician. He’s also preparing for the launch of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny for Disney and Lucasfilm. The final Indiana Jones swings into theaters on June 30, but the PR blitz is still in the early days. In the coming months, you can expect plenty of coverage for the fifth chapter of Indy’s antics.

While several people have become the Swamp Thing, the most famous iteration of the character is Alec Holland, a scientist whose body is drenched in a bio-restorative formula, transforming him into a creature connected to a vast network called The Green. Swamp Thing fights for the good of the Green but also aids superheroes in larger battles when his realm is under attack.

Are you excited about Mangold possibly directing Swamp Thing for the DCU? Who would you cast as Swampy? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: Deadline

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He's also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You'll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.