The DC Universe looks more lost than ever. After the flop of Peacemaker season two and the flat response to Superman (2005), it’s getting harder to see who’s steering the ship. The latest example comes from the long-promised Swamp Thing movie, which now seems trapped in Hollywood’s slow crawl.
Director James Mangold is still officially attached, though his new first-look deal with Paramount Pictures raised alarms. Many fans feared it meant bad news for both his planned Star Wars project and Swamp Thing. According to DC Studios co-head James Gunn, nothing’s been canceled yet. That doesn’t mean anything’s actually happening either.
After the finale of Peacemaker season two, Gunn told Rolling Stone that Mangold’s Paramount contract “doesn’t” interfere with Swamp Thing. Asked if the project was dead, he said, “No.” Gunn added, “I mean, yeah, totally. Absolutely. Yeah. We’ve talked to him [Mangold]. He’s still invested. So we’ll see. Some things take a long time. We’ll see what happens.”
It’s been a long time already. Mangold first joined the DCU in 2023 to write and direct Swamp Thing as part of Gunn’s first chapter, “Gods and Monsters.” He pitched it as a horror movie set apart from the rest of the shared universe. Since then, his plate filled up with A Complete Unknown, High Side, and a still-unmade Star Wars film about the first Jedi. So far, none of it looks close to rolling cameras.
In the meantime, DC’s schedule has fallen apart. The R-rated spot once meant for Swamp Thing now belongs to Clayface, set for September 11, 2026. Gunn has admitted that other projects—The Authority and Waller—have hit “snags,” and at least one previously announced show has been dropped. Fans guessed it was Swamp Thing, but Gunn said it wasn’t.
That might sound like good news, but DC’s record suggests otherwise. If Mangold bails, expect a long search for a replacement and more delays. Gunn insists the studio still wants its monster story told, yet wanting and doing are two different things. Right now, DC seems focused on keeping promises few still believe.
Mangold’s track record includes hits like Logan and Ford v. Ferrari, films that showed he can balance grit and character. Losing him would be another blow to a franchise already wobbling under its own hype. The comic book giant that once promised a full cinematic universe now looks more like a studio still trying to figure out what universe it’s even in.
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