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It turns out that a cryptic Twitter post can mean a lot more than just reminiscing about your favorite superhero. The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that James Mangold is in negotiations to direct the recently-announced "Swamp Thing" film for DC Studios. While Mangold was not mentioned during the private press event revealing the new DC Universe movie and TV show slate, it appears he will be among the first of many directors to bring these projects to the screen.
"Swamp Thing" itself is expected to be the darkest movie of DC Studios' theatrical fare, with co-CEO Peter Safran teasing it as a look into the character's horrifying origins. The most common iteration of the character is biologist Alec Holland, who became the creature after a botched heist in his Louisiana laboratory. It is likely that Holland will be the film's focus, although other iterations of the character, such as Levi Kamei, could take center stage.
If "Swamp Thing" sounds a bit out of place among other newly-announced projects like "Superman: Legacy" or "The Brave and the Bold," that's by design. According to Safran, different tones and genres are going to be the focal point of the DCU (with Swamp Thing being the perfect character to incorporate horror):
"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."
A shot at redemption
Swamp Thing is a popular character in DC Comics, but his live-action adaptations have always received mixed responses. Wes Craven helmed the first feature-length film with the character back in 1982, with Jim Wynorski taking over the reins for its 1989 sequel, "The Return of Swamp Thing." There were also two television series based on the character: USA Network's 1990 iteration and the 2019 version that was essentially canceled due to under-budgeting.
Will James Mangold be the director who finally gives Swamp Thing the live-action project he deserves? That's still unknown, but he certainly has the talent to make us hopeful. The filmmaker is responsible for movies like "Logan" and the upcoming "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," but if there's any project of his that proves he could make this film work, it's 2003's "Identity." It's a legitimately dread-inducing thriller with lots of horror elements, even if it may best be remembered today for its somewhat poorly-aged twist.
Regardless, Mangold is still in early talks with DC Studios to helm "Swamp Thing," so who knows if he'll be behind the camera at all. Neither he nor DC has commented on THR's news.
