The cancellation of Swamp Thing happened so swiftly that even executive producer James Wan was caught by surprise. DC Universe pulled the plug only a few days after the first episode premiered despite critical acclaim and a warm response from fans. Now, a report from Business Insider has shed some additional light on what could have been if the series had continued.
According to the story, an anonymous source came forward to say that the Swamp Thing producers had a three-season arc. Potentially, Swamp Thing “could have gone past that if it was a hit, with characters spinning off into their own shows. The source used the specific example of a potential Justice League Dark team-up series.”
“Cancellation came as a surprise, 100%,” said the anonymous source; whom Business Insider described as a producer on the series. “We walked away with the sets standing, We didn’t tear them down and go home.”
RELATED: James Wan Reacts To Swamp Thing’s Cancellation
While the story confirms that cost of Swamp Thing season 1 was somewhere around $85 million, it once again threw shade on the idea that an accounting mistake did the show in. North Carolina gave Swamp Thing a tax rebate of $16.9 million; which was set before production began. Make no mistake, Swamp Thing was apparently a very expensive show to make. To help prove the veracity of this report, Business Insider ran a behind-the-scenes picture of the show’s signature swamp set. That set reportedly cost $2 million by itself.
Although fan sentiment is clearly behind the show, there doesn’t appear to be any chance for Swamp Thing to continue. The remaining eight episodes will continue to run on DC Universe until the end of the season.
Should DC Universe have kept Swamp Thing alive? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: Saga of Swamp Thing Vol. 1
