While checking out my Twitter account today I came across a post from the official Swamp Thing feed that features an image of actress Virginia Madsen, with fans questioning why the series was canceled in the comments.
Well, one of my conversations while at Comic-Con just so happened to be about the cancellation of Swamp Thing.
I’m told what happened is that the series was too expensive.
Maria Sunderland is taking matters into her own hands. #DCUSWAMPTHING pic.twitter.com/Vvi8IScG5R
— DC's Swamp Thing (@DCSwampThing) July 24, 2019
Swamp Thing too expensive
According to my source close to production, no one was overseeing the show, no one was overseeing the costs, but then AT&T execs stepped in (because of the AT&T Time Warner merger) and became aware of the high costs surrounding Swamp Thing and shut down the show.
Recall in April it was first reported that the number of episodes was cut down from 13 to 10, this is because the AT&T execs weren’t at all happy with the episode costs.
Also, recall what Virginia Madsen had to say at the time in a deleted Instagram post:
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.
Note: She says they were cut down by “those who never set foot into the Swamp.” Again, according to my sources, “those who never set foot in the Swamp” were the AT&T execs and that they weren’t happy that no one was overseeing the show and that it cost a ton to produce, and that they eventually canceled the series.
This also explains why the Sandman series is coming to Netflix and not the DC Universe app, as Netflix will be in part paying for production costs on Sandman as this series is expensive as well.
Swamp Thing has a future within the DCEU
The good news is that my source offered that Swamp Thing would one day make his way onto the big screen, in something like a Justice League Dark movie.
I should also reiterate that when the reports about the cancellation of Swamp Thing surfaced, there was a question surrounding the future of the DC Universe app. I was told (by numerous sources), the DC Universe app is healthy, and even that it will still be around when the big HBO Max app launches. I’ve also been told the DC Universe app series will be connected to Crisis On Infinite Earths.
Update: Swamp Thing appeared in Crisis (watch the footage).
