Swamp Thing Isn’t Dead: Peter Safran Confirms James Mangold’s DCU Horror Movie Is Moving Forward

Silence can sound a lot like cancellation. After more than three years of almost no updates, fans were starting to wonder whether DC's Swamp Thing movie had quietly vanished. Peter…

By Reetam Bodhak

October 16, 2026

2 min read

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Silence can sound a lot like cancellation. After more than three years of almost no updates, fans were starting to wonder whether DC’s Swamp Thing movie had quietly vanished. Peter Safran has now stepped in to say it hasn’t.

What Safran Said?

In an interview with Collider, the DC Studios co-CEO said the film is “moving forward” and that the studio is waiting on a draft from director James Mangold. Mangold was busy making his Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, and when he finished, he told DC he was ready to start.

At the Clayface premiere, Safran told Deadline the script is being written as we speak. He added that projects with a filmmaker already attached take time because you have to wait for their schedule to open up.

Swamp Thing: Overview

Detail	What We Know
Project	Swamp Thing (DCU Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters)
Writer-director	James Mangold
Status	Script in development
Release date	TBA
Genre	Gothic horror
Announced	January 2023
Mangold’s other projects	High Side (Paramount), a Star Wars film

Mangold’s Vision

Mangold has described his take as a very simple, clean Gothic horror movie that stands mostly on its own. He’s also said he has long wanted to make something like a Frankenstein story, which hints at some Mary Shelley-style atmosphere.

Will It Actually Happen?

Reasons for optimism: Mangold is committed, the studio says it’s excited, and his Paramount deal may now work in DC’s favor since the studio recently merged with Warner Bros. under Skydance.

Reasons for caution: Swamp Thing reportedly sits in early development among DC’s 10 post-merger priority movies, so it may be too soon for cameras. Several Chapter 1 projects have also been shelved, and a script alone doesn’t guarantee a green light, as The Brave and the Bold shows.

Mangold’s calendar matters, too. If High Side with Timothée Chalamet starts shooting soon, Swamp Thing could slide back by several years.

For now, the news is a relief for horror fans. A DC movie that leans into the monster side of the universe sounds like exactly the kind of creative swing the DCU needs.

Want more superhero updates and release news? Browse our latest DC and Marvel coverage at Technosports, and explore our trending Hollywood stories to keep up with what’s next. For character background, see the Swamp Thing Wikipedia page.