Of the DC pantheon, we’ve got a number of beloved and highly recognizable characters like Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. But in my years of being around comics fans, I’ve often encounter a less well-known but still well loved character – Swamp Thing, protector of the green. So maybe it’s not surprising that they have turned it into a show…but it is surprising how they chose to spin it.
Here’s the official synopsis from DC Universe:
Swamp Thing follows Abby Arcane as she investigates what seems to be a deadly swamp-born virus in a small town in Louisiana but soon discovers that the swamp holds mystical and terrifying secrets. When unexplainable and chilling horrors emerge from the murky marsh, no one is safe.
So right off the back, you can see that the show is framed like a horror series. People are getting infected with an illness that is causing them to grow plant life in their bodies til it kills them, and the clock is ticking to figure who or what is causing it. It’s clear that there has been some illegal dumping in the swamp by some shady rich guys, because of course, and that has drawn the ire of Swamp Thing, aka murdered scientist Alec Holland.
However, one gets a distinct horror movie vibe while watching this trailer, and there’s a reason for that: there are a lot of horror filmmakers in the creative seats of this show. Swamp Thing‘s horror pedigree includes writers Mark Verheiden (Falling Skies) and Gary Dauberman (the Annabelle series), and executive producer James Wan. We’ve got Andy Bean, Crystal Reed, Jennifer Beals, Maria Sten, Kevin Durand, Will Patton, and Virginia Madsen in the main roles. Michael Beach, of recent Aquaman fame, was just announced as joining the cast as Nathan Ellery, ruthless CEO and potential villain of the show.
It certainly looks well put together and terrifying, so perhaps this could entice more people to sign up for the service. It certainly looks like the streaming subscription has learned a lot from its failure with Titans, at the very least.
Swamp Thing premieres on DC Universe on May 31, 2019.
