The Swamp Thing TV series will be separate from other shows on the upcoming DC streaming service DC Universe, specifically Titans and Doom Patrol. Produced by Aquaman director James Wan, the live-action project is tipped to start filming this fall in North Carolina, although it doesn’t have a confirmed premiere date just yet.
Specific plot details about Swamp Thing are still scarce, but recent casting breakdowns suggest that the show will center on CDC researcher Abby Arcane, who travels back to her hometown of Louisiana, where she will cross paths with Alec Holland. Coincidentally, it’s only after Holland’s death that Arcane learns about the magical nature of the swamp and, in the process, begins to suspect that Holland may not be truly dead after all.
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Contrary to earlier reports that all series streaming in DC Universe will be part of a shared cinematic universe, it turns out that Swamp Thing will be totally unconnected from other upcoming offerings in the platform. According to a new report from CNET, while the TV-MA rated Titans series and Doom Patrol TV show will be tied to each other, the “Swamp Thing series, taking a more horror-inspired direction, will be separate from the two other shows entirely”.
![Swamp Thing TV Show Isn’t in Same Universe as Titans & Doom Patrol](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Robin-in-live-action-Titans.jpg)
DC Chief Creative Officer and Publisher Jim Lee confirmed the news, explaining that it’s not imperative for DC to link all shows together to make for a bigger cohesive narrative, similar to what Marvel is trying to do. “We have no mandate to tie everything together”, he said. Moving away from the interconnected form of storytelling appears to be DC’s newest approach, with their films also veering away from the concept (as illustrated in the DCEU-separate Joker movie starring Joaquin Phoenix).
Only time will tell if keeping certain shows separate from others will be beneficial or not to DC Universe in the long run. But as it stands right now, it seems like a good way to give the creatives behind these shows the freedom to tell the best stories for these characters, without having to also find ways to connect to other properties on the platform. As much as cinematic universes are entertaining to follow, especially when years of build-up finally get a satisfying payoff, it can be a restrictive way of storytelling. Sometimes, details are shoehorned in, just to make sure it’s apparent that all shows and/or movies are tied with each other. Even Marvel, which arguably has the best grasp of the concept, sometimes fails to stay true to their “It’s all connected” tagline, most notably when it comes to the MCU movies and their small screen counterparts.
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Swamp Thing doesn’t have an official premiere date yet. We will let you know when that changes.