Shortly after the first chapter of the upcoming DCU slate, "Gods and Monsters," was announced, we got word that Logan and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny director James Mangold had been enlisted to helm a new Swamp Thing movie for DCU studios.
Fans seemed happy with the choice, but some wondered whether Guillermo del Toro - who has often spoken about his love for the character and had expressed interested in directing a Swamp Thing film in the past - was ever in the mix, and if not, why?
Studio co-head James Gunn was asked this very question on Threads, and responded that, despite seemingly knowing the Pinocchio director pretty well, he simply never reached out to enquire about the possibility of coming aboard the project.
Mangold was asked about his plans for Swamp Thing during an interview last June, and while was hesitant to discuss the movie in any great detail, he did reveal why he decided to make himself available for this particular project.
“As soon as I heard James Gunn was taking over DC, I just saw it as an opportunity to throw my hat down.”
Mangold also said that his take on the classic DC Comics character will be inspired by Frankenstein, and although Gunn has previously stated that the movie will “investigates the dark origins of Swamp Thing” with a "much more horrific" story, the director clarified that he is "not specifically" targeting an R-rating.
It's probably going to be a while before we get any official casting details, but a recent rumor claimed that It and John Wick Chapter 4 actor Bill Skarsgård might be in line to play Alec Holland, aka Swamp Thing.
The Earth Elemental and John Constantine are closely-connected characters in the comics, and with Keanu Reeves (possibly) set to reprise the title role for a sequel to 2005's Constantine, fans are hoping for an eventual crossover - potentially building towards a Justice League Dark movie.
This would certainly be a popular direction to take the character in, but if Constantine 2 does happen, it would most likely be under the "ElseWorlds" banner along with the likes of Matt Reeves' The Batman - Part II and Todd Phillips' Joker sequel.