At the end of May, the live-action Swamp Thing series debuted on the DC Universe streaming service to much acclaim, pulling a 92% Fresh Rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This was the latest original series to arrive at DCU–joining Titans, Doom Patrol, and Young Justice–and apparently a three-season arc was planned for the show that would lead into a Justice League Dark series. But after one episode of the first season had been released, DCU made the surprising announcement that Swamp Thing had been cancelled, truncating what appears to be a promising series as well as the long-term plans it was part of. There have been a lot of rumors on why the show has been cancelled, so I will try to set the record straight here and address whether there are any chances to save it.
Trouble for Swamp Thing started early when the episode order was cut from thirteen to ten. According to the Geeks World Wide site–which talked to sources behind the scenes–Warner execs were not happy with the direction of the show after seeing early cuts and and made the call to end it after ten episodes. They decided the show was too expensive (the price tag of the first season is in the $80 million range) and preferred the lighter approach of The CW superhero entries like The Flash and Supergirl. Apparently both HBO and The CW considered picking up the show for a second season, but decided to pass on it. Executive producers James Wan, Gary Dauberman, and Mark Verheiden tried to fight for the show, but they were not able to convince Warner Bros. to keep it going. Wan put the following post on Instragram addressing the cancellation:
There were talks that tax incentives from the state of North Carolina that failed to materialize were responsible for the cancellation, but that is not the case. The number that was floated around of $40 million in tax rebates was apparently over-inflated, and if Warner had really been behind the production they would have figured out a way to work out the finances if there was a shortfall. By all appearances, the show was cancelled because network executives did not have faith in it, not because of the money.
There are also talks that the DCU streaming service could be on the bubble as the larger WarnerMedia platform is ramping up. The streaming service released the following statement in response to those rumors:
DC Universe continues to develop new shows, new seasons, new stories, more availability, and more platforms. We’ve got a lot of exciting plans for our other shows in the works, and look forward to sharing more in the coming months.
But I would say to look past the corporate-speak and certainly take this with a large grain of salt as there are definite signs that DCU might be facing troubles ahead. It has already cancelled one series without even giving it a chance (and the early reviews for that one have been quite good). It has not officially picked up Doom Patrol for a second season despite early renewal rumors. It has moved the debut of its live-action Stargirl series from August to October to now 2020. None of these are the signs of a thriving streaming service. And the specter of the larger WarnerMedia service hangs over its head, with execs possibly considering DCU no longer necessary once that one launches.
So amidst all of this, is there anything that the fans can do to save Swamp Thing from being a one-and-done Peak TV casualty?
I would say yes, but it will be a struggle. We have seen shows saved by fans before such as Timeless (uncancelled by NBC), The Expanse (picked up by Amazon after Syfy’s cancellation), and Lucifer (picked up by Netflix after FOX’s cancellation). But those latter two scenarios will likely not work for Swamp Thing because Warner Bros. probably will not release this one to another venue. As mentioned above, HBO and The CW considered picking up the show (the former is owned by AT&T as is WarnerMedia, and latter is co-owned by Warner Bros.), so perhaps fans can target those venues and try to convince them to reconsider. They can also try to lobby Warner to reconsider the cancellation and bring it back for a second season on DCU or the WarnerMedia platform.
I believe that a campaign to save Doom Patrol (which I discuss in more detail at this link) has a better chance because it has not been cancelled yet. But the smart play is for fans of that show and Swamp Thing to team up and bring Young Justice supporters onboard as well (that one has yet to receive a fourth season announcement). The more people involved, the better the trending on social media. And that’s where this battle should be fought in order to bring as much attention to the shows as possible and pressure Warner to keep them going. It will definitely be an uphill battle for the Swamp Thing, but a victory is still possible. Fans need to make the Call to Action on the social nets in order for their voices to be heard and to give their shows a chance at continuing.
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