A 10-episode live action Swamp Thing television series was made available via the DC Universe streaming service from May 31st 2019. The network The CW later acquired the rights to the series and began broadcasting edited episodes from October 6th 2020.
Cast:
Derek Mears as Swamp Thing
Crystal Read as Abby Arcane
Andy Bean as Alec Holland
Henderson Wade as Matt Cable
Will Patton as Avery Sunderland
Maria Sten as Liz Tremayne
Kevin Durand as Jason Woodrue, the Floronic Man
Summary:
“When CDC researcher Abby Arcane returns to her childhood home of Houma, Louisiana, in order to investigate a deadly swamp-borne virus, she develops a surprising bond with scientist Alec Holland—only to have him tragically taken from her. But as powerful forces descend on Houma, intent on exploiting the swamp’s mysterious properties for their own purposes, Abby will discover that the swamp holds mystical secrets, both horrifying and wondrous—and the potential love of her life may not be dead after all.” [Source: DC Comics]
Episode Synopses:
Click on the episode title to read a detailed, scene-by-scene synopsis of the episode, and how the characters and events relate to those of the comics.
| # | Title | Original Release Date |
| 1 | “Pilot“ | May 31, 2019 |
| 2 | “Worlds Apart“ | June 7, 2019 |
| 3 | “He Speaks“ | June 14, 2019 |
| 4 | “Darkness on the Edge of Town“ | June 21, 2019 |
| 5 | “Drive All Night“ | June 28, 2019 |
| 6 | “The Price You Pay“ | July 5, 2019 |
| 7 | “Brilliant Disguise“ | July 12, 2019 |
| 8 | “Long Walk Home“ | July 19, 2019 |
| 9 | “The Anatomy Lesson“ | July 26, 2019 |
| 10 | “Loose Ends“ | August 2, 2019 |
Trailers:
Release:
 Blu-ray & DVD formats (488 min.), 2020. Region 1/A distributed in USA/CAN by Warner Bros. Region 2/B distributed in Australia by Roadshow. This does not include any bonus features. |
Bibliographic References:
Barnhardt, Adam. “Swamp Thing Star Derek Mears on Practical Effects, a Hard R Rating, and More.” ComicBook.com, 16 May 2019, https://comicbook.com/2019/05/16/swamp-thing-dc-universe-derek-mears-interview/.
An interview with Derek Mears about auditioning, which comics inspired the TV series, the R-rating, and the suit.
Gilchrist, Todd. “Reborn on the Bayou.” Fangoria Bonus Pages, May 2019, pp. 102–106, https://issuu.com/birthmoviesdeath/docs/_3bp_-_swamp_thing.
An article about the upcoming TV series, discussing the show’s themes and the creative team’s approach to the visual effects. Includes some behind-the-scenes photos and quotes from executive producers Gary Dauberman and Mark Verheiden, and from Derek Mears.
Killian, Kyle D. “Welcome to the Anthropocene: Gregory Bateson, Disaster Porn, Swamp Thing, and ‘The Green.’” Globalizations, vol. 18, no. 6, Jan. 2021, pp. 1017–32, https://doi.org/10.1080/14747731.2020.1859761.
The author describes the ‘disaster porn’ genre in narrative fiction and its consequences for the response to global climate change. Killian explores the theories of Gregory Bateson to explain humans’ persistent disconnection from natural systems and how our modes of thinking are self-reinforcing rather than self-corrective. The author then looks at the 2019 Swamp Thing TV series and its response to the ecological crisis within the disaster porn genre, with the titular character acting as a bridge between human scientific inquiry and the natural world. The author also provides suggestions as to why the series was cancelled prematurely.
Nazzaro, Joe. “The B Sides: Swamp Thing.” Prosthetics Magazine, no. 20, winter 2020, pp. 20–23.
Includes some quotes from the Fractured FX team about what was planned for the Floronic Man and Blue Devil characters in the episodes that were cancelled, with detailed, behind-the-scenes images of both costumes.
Stewart, Lexi. “Swamp Thing: How Fractured FX Brought Nature to Life with Practical Effects for the DC Universe Web TV Series.” Stan Winston School of Character Arts, 6 July 2019, https://www.stanwinstonschool.com/blog/swamp-thing-behind-the-scenes-makeup-effects-interview-with-justin-raleigh-fractured-fx.
An article about the special effects created by Fractured FX for the DC Universe television series, with quotes from costume designer Justin Raleigh. There is information about the construction and application of the main suit, about the puppets used in the series, and the relationship between practical effects and VFX. Includes lots of close-up images of the suit at various stages of construction.
There were also a series of blog posts on the CoSA VFX website about the computer-generated effects used on the show, with some information about the ideas and decisions behind the effects, and how the VFX worked alongside practical effects. The posts include some images and short videos.
“Swamp Thing: CoSA VFX Supervisor Tom Mahoney Discusses Bringing The Swamp To Life”. 3 June 2019.
<https://www.cosavfx.com/swamp-thing/swamp-thing-how-cosa-brings-the-swamp-to-life/>
“Swamp Thing: Inside CoSA’s Work On Episode 2 ‘Worlds Apart'”. 7 June 2019.
<https://www.cosavfx.com/swamp-thing/swamp-thing-worlds-apart/>
Inside The Visual Effects of Swamp Thing Episode 5 “Drive All Night”. 2 July 2019.
<https://www.cosavfx.com/swamp-thing/inside-the-visual-effects-of-swamp-thing-episode-5-drive-all-night/>
“Swamp Thing: Revisiting VFX From The Show’s Last Two Episodes”. 23 Aug. 2019
<https://www.cosavfx.com/swamp-thing/swamp-thing-exploring-vfx-from-the-show-s-last-two-episodes/>
“Mark Verheiden Discusses Working With CoSA VFX On Swamp Thing”. 4 Oct 2019.
<https://www.cosavfx.com/swamp-thing/verheiden-swamp-thing/>
Another Green World 