Swamp Thing Movie Gets A Promises Update As James Gunn Hints At Batman Beyond Plans

Swamp Thing Movie Gets A Promises Update As James Gunn Hints At Batman Beyond Plans

Several DC Studios projects have been shelved since 2023, but James Mangold's Swamp Thing movie is still moving forward. We also have an intriguing hint about a possible Batman Beyond feature.

By JoshWilding - Oct 14, 2026 10:10 AM EST
Filed Under: Swamp Thing

Several DC Studios movies and TV shows have fallen by the wayside since the "Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters" slate was revealed nearly four years ago. However, there may yet be hope for Swamp Thing, which we previously learned will investigate the dark origins of its lead.

Like Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny director James Mangold's Star Wars movie, which was set to explore the origin of the Jedi set 25,000 years in the past, Swamp Thing has been on the back burner since it was first announced. 

Talking at the Clayface premiere last night, DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran said, "We're working on it, absolutely. The script is being written as we speak. But it's something we're excited about. All these things take time – when you've already got a filmmaker involved, you've got to wait for their window [of availability] as well."

There have been concerns that, just like how Clayface started as a Mike Flanagan passion project before being given to a new creative team, the same thing may have happened with Swamp Thing. Fortunately, it sounds like Mangold remains involved and is deep in the writing process.

Safran's fellow DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn was also on hand and revealed an interest in potentially developing a Batman Beyond project one day. 

"I love Batman Beyond. So that's a great thing for the future," the Superman director enthused. "And I think that's something that originated in animation that could be a good movie."

A live-action Batman Beyond movie was actually in the works before DC Studios was formed, with Michael Keaton set to reprise his role as Batman alongside Batman Returns star Michelle Pfeiffer. That was scrapped shortly after Batgirl was shelved as a tax write-off, bringing a swift end to Keaton's stint in the cape and cowl following The Flash. 

You can hear more from Safran and Gunn in the players below. 

James Gunn Shares SWAMP THING Artwork - Is James Mangold's Movie Finally Moving Forward?
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James Gunn Shares SWAMP THING Artwork - Is James Mangold's Movie Finally Moving Forward?

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ProudPatriot76
ProudPatriot76 - 10/14/2026, 10:28 AM
there was an animation test a couple years ago in the style of Into The Spider-Verse and it was awesome! it could have been fan-made, but it was a very cool concept
Superheroking
Superheroking - 10/14/2026, 10:28 AM
Another “James Gunn talks about X” article. Dude is just busy replying randoms on the internet & giving interviews instead of trying to come up with a movie that could actually make some money.
OmegaBlack13
OmegaBlack13 - 10/14/2026, 10:40 AM
@Superheroking - This was on the red carpet of a movie premiere man, CEOs tend to give interviews there.
Loverboy83
Loverboy83 - 10/14/2026, 10:40 AM
> Talking at the Clayface premiere last night, DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran said, "We're working on it, absolutely. The script is being written as we speak. But it's something we're excited about. All these things take time – when you've already got a filmmaker involved, you've got to wait for their window [of availability] as well."

User Comment Image

> "I love Batman Beyond. So that's a great thing for the future," the Superman director enthused. "And I think that's something that originated in animation that could be a good movie."

Bro doesn't even have the main Batman yet, but he's already eyeing Batman Beyond, copium overdose 😭✌
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 10/14/2026, 10:57 AM
@Loverboy83 - that is the sound of a man who's sure about his long term position.

Batman Beyond? Really?!?
SurfinSuperman
SurfinSuperman - 10/14/2026, 12:09 PM
@Loverboy83 - Guy didn't say they were making it a movie, he just answered a question and said it could be good.
SenorTwats
SenorTwats - 10/14/2026, 10:43 AM
And which Batman would Gunn use for this?

The dumb tw@t killed off all the good ones and left us with F*ing Clooney as some kind of goofy joke only he found amusing.

If they do Batman Beyond, we better get a new actor to play old Batman.
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 10/14/2026, 10:50 AM
@SenorTwats - that's probably Cavill rn.

So yeah... WAY into the future. Probably after KC?
NotMyDiagnosis
NotMyDiagnosis - 10/14/2026, 10:57 AM
@UltimaRex - I've seen you mention Cavill as Batman quite a bit. What makes you think he'd cast him?
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 10/14/2026, 11:05 AM
@NotMyDiagnosis - Cavill was literally the first actor they talked to, every actor they DO talk to mentions Batman and Cavill started his position with Gunn apologising to him.

Not saying for sure Cavill is Batman, more it's probably his role to lose rn...
SenorTwats
SenorTwats - 10/14/2026, 11:18 AM
@UltimaRex - i doubt he'd cast Cavill, he gave him the boot when we could have had an else world'superman story. He also killed him off screen in the flash and turned down MOS 2 to do TSS. Gunn don't like Henry at all 😬😮‍💨
SenorTwats
SenorTwats - 10/14/2026, 11:19 AM
@NotMyDiagnosis - he's probably doing damage control for Gunn, we all know Gunn don't like Henry lol 😮‍💨
InfinitePunches
InfinitePunches - 10/14/2026, 11:20 AM
@NotMyDiagnosis - He likes to talk confidently about things he knows nothing about. Like the Kingdom Come movie that he hallucinated that's slated for 2033 or 2035.

(He's British.)
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 10/14/2026, 11:34 AM
@SenorTwats - not what he said.

James Gunn (https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=%2Fm%2F06q0_2&q=James+Gunn) has described the situation surrounding Henry Cavill's exit as Superman as a "terrible" and "unfair" miscommunication, while emphasizing that Cavill behaved like an "absolute gentleman" throughout the transition. [1] (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LWxr41xDn4w), [2] (https://variety.com/2025/film/news/james-gunn-terrible-henry-cavill-superman-david-corenswet-1236465242/)

Key Details of the Situation

• The Timing Clash: Former DC management greenlit Cavill’s cameo in Black Adam and publicly announced his full return on the exact same day that Gunn and Peter Safran’s deal to take over as co-CEOs of DC Studios was finalized. [1] (https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/1m4p4zy/james_gunn_says_it_was_terrible_to_tell_henry/), [2] (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64482225), [3] (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LWxr41xDn4w), [4] (https://variety.com/2025/film/news/james-gunn-terrible-henry-cavill-superman-david-corenswet-1236465242/)
• The New Vision: Gunn and Safran were already planning a reboot film (Superman, starring David Corenswet) focusing on an earlier period in the hero's life, meaning Cavill's return didn't fit their roadmap. [1] (https://www.facebook.com/100028020347721/videos/james-gunn-explains-what-actually-happened-to-henry-cavill-superman-superman-hen/1525413248662551/), [2] (https://www.facebook.com/JoshHorowitzMTV/videos/james-gunn-reveals-the-circumstances-around-letting-henry-cavill-go-as-superman-/719327984208200/), [3] (https://variety.com/2025/film/news/james-gunn-terrible-henry-cavill-superman-david-corenswet-1236465242/)
• The Conversation: Gunn and Safran met directly with Cavill to explain the change. Cavill handled the news professionally and only asked to be the one to break the departure to the public himself. [1] ( [2] (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LWxr41xDn4w)
• Future Possibilities: Gunn has stated he would love to work with Cavill and cast him in a different, separate role within the new DC Universe (DCU), and has dismissed online rumors that he harbors any personal dislike for the actor on The Independent. [1] (https://www.imdb.com/news/ni65386707/), [2] (https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/james-gunn-henry-cavill-superman-dc-feud-b2243315.html), [3] (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LWxr41xDn4w)
Would you like more information about Gunn's upcoming Superman movie or the broader timeline of the DCU reboot?
SenorTwats
SenorTwats - 10/14/2026, 12:38 PM
@UltimaRex - bruh, 1st of all, half of those links didn't work and 2nd of all Battison was also batman before the DCU came about. they continued to make The Batman movies for reeves as elsworld stories.

James Gunn could have done his own universe without killing cavills superman and Ben's batman off but he didn't. He was very sneaky about ending the DCEU whilst keeping the parts he created alive. He went as far as to change the ending of the flash to do this.

No matter how many links you post, his actions speak louder than his words.

UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 10/14/2026, 12:42 PM
@SenorTwats - remember that when he casts Cavill as Batman.
cincymovieguy
cincymovieguy - 10/14/2026, 12:44 PM
@UltimaRex

0% chance Cavill plays Batman.
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 10/14/2026, 12:47 PM
@InfinitePunches - remember all the screaming heads swearing blind Gunn was going to be fired the moment the Paramount deal closed?

Yeah.

I'm not the only one. We ALL speak in absolutes on the Internet.

And it's 2035. For now.
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 10/14/2026, 12:48 PM
@cincymovieguy - watch it happen.
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 10/14/2026, 12:50 PM
@SenorTwats - I can always repost that block of text it took me 5 seconds to get.
SenorTwats
SenorTwats - 10/14/2026, 2:48 PM
@UltimaRex - im good thanks, I've already seen Gunn's actions for myself. 😅
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 10/14/2026, 10:55 AM
If Gunn is talking DCU Batman Beyond, that's either just before Kingdom Come(BatB saga 4?) or after(?!?).

Either way, it's WAY off...
InfinitePunches
InfinitePunches - 10/14/2026, 10:56 AM
@UltimaRex - Unfortunately, they would have needed Hal to make a Kingdom Come movie. And since he's confirmed to be gone for good, they can't make that movie anymore :/
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 10/14/2026, 10:59 AM
@InfinitePunches - Hal has been there before. He was The Spectre once for crying out loud...
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 10/14/2026, 11:08 AM
@InfinitePunches - unless Lanterns actually does introduce Alan Scott...
InfinitePunches
InfinitePunches - 10/14/2026, 11:09 AM
@UltimaRex - So you believe that the DCU is going to adapt Day of Judgement having skipped over Emerald Twilight and Final Night, have Hal be the Spectre for a little while, and then somehow adapt Rebirth without Parallax or Kyle, so they can set up Hal to play Alan Scott's role in the Kingdom Come movie that you're certain is happening because of a choice by the costuming department?
Scarilian
Scarilian - 10/14/2026, 11:12 AM
@UltimaRex -
He was likely just asked what Batman story you'd like to see an animated movie of and picked Batman Beyond because of the concept art pitch for an animated Batman Beyond movie with Spider-verse inspired visuals that was shown off three years ago.

I don't think it's worth reading into it and James Gunn set-up the idea of doing unconnected 'Elseworlds' movies so it could always be an animated Batman Beyond movie with no connection to whatever else he is doing.
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 10/14/2026, 11:20 AM
@InfinitePunches - halfway, sure. Some will get adapted (Kyle for instance), others won't.

Look at the MCU.
InfinitePunches
InfinitePunches - 10/14/2026, 11:23 AM
@UltimaRex - Yeah, I do not care about the MCU.

Tell me how Kyle Rayner can be adapted without Emerald Twilight.
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 10/14/2026, 11:26 AM
@Scarilian - considering how het up people get about two different Batmen I wasn't going to offer up a third...
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 10/14/2026, 11:31 AM
@InfinitePunches - Guy meets Ice, Ice dies, Guy loses it, Kyle gets Guy's ring.

That's just one way.
InfinitePunches
InfinitePunches - 10/14/2026, 12:15 PM
@UltimaRex - So the first version of Kyle to ever be chosen by the ring, stealing away from him the "You'll do" element of his origin, making impossible his entire identity crisis of feeling he's undeserving of carrying on the legacy because his selection was random, robbing him of the character arc of choosing to overcome that and become the avatar of Ion in spite of NOT being chosen...

Sounds super boring and watered down... So perfect for the DCU!
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 10/14/2026, 12:21 PM
@InfinitePunches - like I said, that's ONE way.

Pay me, and I'll make it more interesting...
InfinitePunches
InfinitePunches - 10/14/2026, 12:28 PM
@UltimaRex - That's the thing. You CAN'T do a proper version of Kyle without Emerald Twilight.

King and Lindelof wrote the Green Lanterns into a corner where the DCU literally can't adapt any of the comic stories now, and then they took their paycheck and quit.
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 10/14/2026, 12:34 PM
@InfinitePunches - then make NEW stories.

Pay me, and I'll happily write them.
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 10/14/2026, 10:58 AM
Lolz at the title,

"Swamp Thing Movie Gets A Promises Update As James Gunn Hints At Batman Beyond Plans"
Scarilian
Scarilian - 10/14/2026, 11:07 AM
Naturally everyone involved is going to keep acting as if things are set in stone because there's multiple hundreds of million riding on the movie let alone potential merchandising, but realistically it boils down to two scenarios:


Scenario A)
• Gunn's contract ends in April 2027. He'll do marketing for Man of Tomorrow because that'll be the last segment of his contractual obligations. Perhaps he deactivates his social media for a while. The state of DC is left unknown for a while. Then we hear about if they intend to continue with his cinematic universe in October 2027

• The Batman Part II releases in 2028 and depending on performance Paramount-Bros try and align Matt Reeves as the face of DC. Matt Reeves agrees solely to complete his trilogy, no longer having the rumored internal conflict with Gunn due to Gunn being let go.

• The Batman Part III releases in 2031. Matt Reeves is given some influence over two or three low budget experimental DC projects to give the impression of them being set in the same universe even if no crossover is planned, the intent being to see if the impression of a cinematic universe helps these lower risk films perform successful to fund future plans.

• Matt Reeves steps down after The Batman Part III and Paramount reboot Batman drawing inspiration from Tony Stark's Iron Man and Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy.

Scenario B)
• Gunn's contract that is scheduled to end in April 2027 is extended to October 2027. He'll do marketing for Man of Tomorrow.

• Paramount-Bros analyse the response to Man of Tomorrow and in October 2027 they choose to make a new contract or fully extend the current contract with James Gunn.

• The Batman Part II releases in 2028 and the performance determines if Matt Reeves is offered a chance to do The Batman Part III, though given the rumored internal conflict with Gunn, I'd imagine Matt Reeves would step away from the project after Part II releases stating he's told the story he wanted.

• The Brave and the Bold releases in late 2029/early 2030.
InfinitePunches
InfinitePunches - 10/14/2026, 11:18 AM
User Comment Image

Pretty Sure Paradise Lost is supposed to come out before Swamp Thing does. Crazy that I haven't had the chance yet to watch Booster Gold, The Authority, Waller, or Brave and the Bold. I keep checking online to see if they're on streaming yet. I feel like they did no marketing for those releases!
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 10/14/2026, 1:00 PM
If he gives us a Batman Beyond movie with Michael Keaton, I'll be hyped.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 10/14/2026, 1:29 PM
Glad that Swamp Thing is still being worked on…

It does puzzle me why a filmmaker would sign onto a project if they are already developing something else such as Mangold is doing a heist thriller with Timothee Chalamet aswell as Dawn of The Jedi besides Swamp Thing but I guess it’s good to have work lined up since the industry is not exactly stable.

Anyway , I would love Batman Beyond eventually but right now it’s best to focus on the DCU Batman before going into the future which can be done later on once the universe is on a stable enough ground!!.
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