One of the more unexpected TV releases of 2019 is the return of DC Comics' heroic monstrosity Swamp Thing for the DC Universe sci-fi drama of the same name. Set for a May release, Swamp Thing has a stacked cast, an eclectic creative team, and a home at one of the most promising streaming up-starts of recent years. Unfortunately, it's being reported that the North Carolina production on Season 1 will end earlier than expected, which likely means fewer episodes than originally planned.
While nothing has been confirmed by DC Universe or Warner Bros TV just yet, reports are circling claiming that local crew members for Swamp Thing were being alerted on Tuesday night that the production is now being wrapped post-haste with Episode 10. The original series order was for 13 installments, with the production planned to continue on through the entirety of May, leading into the series premiere on DC Universe. Now, though, the plan has clearly changed.
The production isn't entirely completed, considering the entire Season 2 ending is reportedly being rewritten in order to adjust for the changes. According to Wilmington's Star News Online, it's still expected for reshoots to happen for previous episodes, although it's not specified whether those reshoots were going to also be reconceived to factor in the truncated ending.
It wasn't only the local players who were taken aback by the sudden news of Swamp Thing's reduction in production days and episodes. Star Virginia Madsen made the news about as official as it could get by taking to Instagram with the following post, which was deleted less than an hour later.
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
With her tone so harsh, it's unclear if Virginia Madsen deleted the tweet after calming down and realizing it was an impulsive post, or if she was instructed to take the post down by someone else involved with Swamp Thing's production. Maybe she'd misunderstood what the reasoning was behind the show getting fewer episodes than originally intended.
Many people online are worriedly speculating that this news could be a bad omen for DC Universe's future, especially when faced with all the recent news about Disney+, the WarnerMedia streaming service, Apple TV+, NBCU's streaming platform and more. Not to mention all the usual suspects like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and the rest. There's no real reason to suspect anything bad about DC Universe's fate, though.
In fact, DC Universe only this afternoon released a first look at the beast himself in a new teaser. Check it out!
Let's also not forget that the service's first original series, Titans, also went through a weird episode shift towards the end of its debut season. That show was meant to end on a more fantastical note, but the producers decided to hold it and make it the Season 2 premiere, which made for a very strange ending for Season 1. In any case, Titans has been casting people out the wazoo, so that show isn't planning on pulling back any time soon.
Will Swamp Thing go through a similar kind of rocky ending to complete an otherwise excellent season? My lofty opinions about Titans aren't so hidden around these parts, and I love Doom Patrol even more so in some ways. So I have no doubt that Swamp Thing will hit similar highs, assuming it doesn't get blown out of existence.
Swamp Thing will tell the story of Andy Bean's scientist Alec Holland, who faces an impossible fate that turns him into the all-natural superhero of the title, with Swamp Thing himself played by horror vet Derek Mears. Crystal Reed stars as CDC doctor Abby Arcane, who is investigating a deadly epidemic in her hometown, and bonds with Alec before he makes his transformation. Beyond Virginia Madsen, Swamp Thing also stars Will Patton, Maria Sten, Jeryl Prescott, Kevin Durand, and more. It boast executive producers such as James Wan, Len Wiseman, Gary Dauberman, Mark Verheiden and Michael Clear.
For now, Swamp Thing is set to make everyone's summer better when it debuts on DC Universe on Friday, May 31.
