DC and Warner announced earlier this year they were launching a streaming service — DC Universe — catering solely to the legendary comic publisher’s film and TV content. Moreover, one of the flagship original programs is going to be a revamped live-action Swamp Thing series produced by Conjuring and Saw creator James Wan.
And that show has found its Swamp Thing. News broke this week that horror veteran and stuntman Derrick Mears has been cast as the green and hulking mossy hero. Mears rose to fame playing Jason in the 2009 remake of Friday the 13th.
Much like the role of Jason, one that made the career of Kane Hodder, Mears steps into some pretty big shoes by playing Swamp Thing. For a decade, the late Dick Durock wore the make-up and received top billing as the pulp man-monster for two straight movies and a prior TV show on basic cable.
His casting comes on the heels of the news that Crystal Reed, known for Teen Wolf and Gotham, will play female lead Abby Arcane. Abby is the love interest for Swampy, whose real name is Alec Holland, and the niece of his archenemy (the Joker to his Batman or Lex to his Superman) Anton Arcane, also the man responsible for the accident that turned Holland into a swamp creature that is part plant. Anton Arcane has yet to be cast, if he makes an appearance at all.
Swamp Thing first appeared in comics published by DC. He was created by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson in the 1970s. Abby Arcane’s first appearance was in issue #3 of the first run which hit shelves in March 1973. Her intro to other media was on the big screen, 1987’s Return of Swamp Thing (dir. Jim Wynorski), played by Heather Locklear (no, really).
Before that, Wes Craven took the first crack at adapting the character for a movie in 1983. That and Return of Swamp Thing met with lackluster returns and reviews but they were still followed by a somewhat popular TV series on USA Network and a really short lived Fox Kids cartoon.
Whether in print or film and television, the story is usually about scientist Alec Holland who becomes Swamp Thing after a lab explosion caused by Arcane plunges him into the swamp waters. Exposed to chemicals he was working with, Holland takes on characteristics of the environment around him, turning into the monstrous creature with magic powers drawn from a force called the Green.
In the new series, Abby is a CDC doctor who returns to her hometown and gets steeped in the paranormal mysteries of the swamp after an epidemic. Gary Dauberman co-writes and executive produces with Wan and he promises content that is “hard-R” horror. This will be a departure from the usual adaptations that had a firm sense of camp.
Swamp Thing is slated for a 2019 release on DC Universe. Len Wiseman (Underworld) will direct the pilot.
Some of the coverage you find on Cultured Vultures contains affiliate links, which provide us with small commissions based on purchases made from visiting our site. We cover gaming news, movie reviews, wrestling and much more.
