Update: First look at Swamp Thing TV series; James Wan comments on changes

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Update #2: JoBlo himself reached out to producer James Wan on the Swamp Thing news today and Wan clarified that the show isn't cancelled, just abbreviated from 13 episodes to 10 episodes, which Wan says he would've preferred anyway. See their exchange below.

Update: Following this morning's report that SWAMP THING has halted production and will now be ten episodes as opposed to its original thirteen, a teaser for DC Universe's swamp-tastic series has risen from the boggy depths. The tease takes us into the murky waters of Swampy's lair, where the supernatural savior of The Green can be seen emerging from the brackish waters. If you ask me, this teaser stings a little bit, given the original contents of this article. SWAMP THING has always been at the top of the DC Universe list of shows for me, and the fact that Swamp Thing looks totally badass in this promo is making me all the more upset about the show's unceremonious shutdown.

Original Article:

What is denied water will never grow
What is born unto this earth will always return
What is cleaved may never bloom
Dam the poison seeping into the lake under the harvest moon

A new report hailing from Star News Online, a local outlet operating out of Wilmington, North Carolina where DC Universe's SWAMP THING is being filmed, says that the upcoming superhero action series is ending its production early, and unceremoniously at that. According to the local setup, the writers of SWAMP THING have been tasked with re-writing the show's finale as the series plans to mulch their original 13-episode order to just 10 chapters of the upcoming Swampy saga.

The report was followed by an Instagram post from series star Virginia Madsen, who wrote “I’m beyond sad. What a terrible decision. We have been cut to the core by those who have never set foot into the Swamp. And despite the rule I am going to use the hashtag. #swampthing.” The post has since been deleted, though like an elephant, the internet never forgets, and so a screengrab of the entry still exists:

According to Star News Online's report, local crew members were made aware of the halt to production Tuesday night, and were informed that the show would be wrapping with the close of its tenth episode. For the moment, there's no telling when the new ending will be shot, or the re-shoots for previous episodes for that matter. When looking at the numbers, it was stated that DC pumped $85 million into the Wilmington area for SWAMP THING, which makes their move to abandon ship all the more curious. Some might perceive this shutdown as a warning sign for DC Universe subscribers, a service that so far has done little to gain the attention of fans beyond offering a library of archived content and two original programs (TITANS, DOOM PATROL). Perhaps this is enough for some die hard fans, but without more customers (and fast), we could be looking at a downward turn for DC's exclusive streaming platform. The fact of the matter is that services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon already have a major leg up on DC Universe, and with Disney set to launch Disney+ in November, the streamer that Batman built is going to encounter some very stiff competition in the coming months.

Do you subscribe to DC Universe? Are you bummed to hear about the state of SWAMP THING? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.