DC is slowly trying to raise the level of its live-action work, given that its competitor Marvel has soared in this category. DC Universe, its new streaming service, was meant to be a testing ground for new shows and riskier, darker concepts. Things were looking up with Doom Patrol and when the first episode of Swamp Thing went live on DC Universe, it was met with critical acclaim and some surprise. Now, however, Warner Brothers has cancelled the show, leaving hopeful fans scratching their heads and wondering what happened.
There’s been some finger pointing about creative decisions, but it is emerging that the reason is more financial than creative. Reporter John Gholson discovered that publications in North Carolina are reporting that due to an accounting error, the production for Swamp Thing wasn’t going to get back as much money as they thought initially. His Twitter thread explains it pretty succinctly, and with sources – here’s the tweet that started it off:
In the articles about SWAMP THING there still seems to be some confusion as to the "why" of sudden shutdown. The reasons didn't hit the entertainment trades, BUT…they did hit the news in North Carolina…
— John Gholson (@gholson) June 6, 2019
Swamp Thing is an expensive show, hence why it looks so good. The show was cut from 13 episodes to 10 during filming, and now it looks like this snafu has led to a second season being totally out of the question. It’s a bummer, given that it’s already being touted as the best DC show to date.
If you’re worried about being able to see the show before it disappears, no worries there. The entire first season will be coming out, so fans will be able to enjoy it for at least one full season before it drift back into the swamp.
Swamp Thing Season 1 is currently streaming on DC Universe.