Swamp Thing won’t just be part of the DC Universe’s first chapter — it will likely serve as the franchise’s connective tissue even before a Justice League event happens. James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe will give its biggest characters time to establish themselves with solo installments such as Superman: Legacy and The Brave and the Bold, which may not lead to a crossover until much later. In the meantime, DC movies and shows such as Creature Commandos, Waller, and Swamp Thing will set the foundations for a consistent interconnected universe.
Other installments in the new DC universe will likely expand their respective areas of the franchise. For instance, Lanterns will likely develop the DC Universe’s cosmic stories and connect them to Earth-based characters while the franchise’s mythological aspects take shape in Paradise Lost. And although it may not seem evident at first, Swamp Thing may link to multiple corners of the DC Universe simultaneously, as the titular monster’s abilities and comic book history allow him to appear in any DC movie or show.
Swamp Thing Is Connected To The Entire DC Universe
Alec Holland a.k.a. Swamp Thing is a lonely character due to his tragic origin. However, he has fought alongside many important DC characters throughout the years. One of his earliest allies was Etrigan the Demon, who shares Swamp Thing’s dichotomy as a human cursed to become a monster. Soon he met John Constantine, who informed Swamp Thing of his role as the Avatar of the Green and not long later struck a friendship with him. Swamp Thing’s occult nature also put him in contact with other dark heroes such as Zatanna and Deadman, and it guaranteed Swamp Thing’ spot in the Justice League Dark superhero team.
As a full-fledged superhero, Swamp Thing worked alongside Wonder Woman in a revamped version of the Justice League Dark and stayed by her side in the post-apocalyptic future of the Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman storyline, where he remained her last living friend. In Dark Crisis: The Deadly Green, Superman’s son Jon Kent merged with Swamp Thing to create a hybrid superhero, who confronted the Great Darkness alongside Raven and the first Green Lantern, Alan Scott. Among other major figures, Swamp Thing has also interacted with Poison Ivy multiple times as both allies and enemies.
How Swamp Thing’s Powers Can Affect the DC Universe
Swamp Thing’s encounters with many major DC characters in the comics make him a good candidate for DC universe’s connective tissue. But apart from his relationships, Swamp Thing’s powers and abilities can also help him. Swamp Thing’s link with all plant life allows him to appear almost anywhere, which is useful to connect any DC locations and characters to each other, regardless of how unlikely they are to cross paths. His link to the Green is also a key aspect, as the Green and the Red are fundamental forces in the DC multiverse that dictate how nature behaves.
As the Avatar of the Green and protector of all nature in the universe, Swamp Thing is justified in intervening whenever any villain threatens Earth. For instance, Swamp Thing could help Superman fight villains like Brainiac and Lex Luthor when their plans involve massive destruction, side with Aquaman to defend plant life and ocean life, and pop up in cosmic DC Universe stories alongside the Green Lanterns to face supernatural forces like DC’s The Rot and the Great Darkness. And of course, Swamp Thing will likely tackle the DCU’s horror and paranormal threats with the help of other supernatural characters.
What Swamp Thing’s DC Universe Future May Look Like
The DC Universe’s Swamp Thing will likely establish the titular character as an individual hero before assigning him any role in the wider universe, but he’s still expected to cross paths with other DC figures later down the line. While Swamp Thing could eventually live out his adventures with Wonder Woman, Jon Kent, and Poison Ivy in live-action, he will likely cross over with some version of the Justice League Dark first. After the DC Universe’s first chapter, “Gods and Monsters”, sets up the franchise’s supernatural corner, the franchise could revive the canceled Justice League Dark DC movie that has been in development hell for many years and feature Swamp Thing as a main member of the team.
Afterward, Swamp Thing is free to evolve as a solo character, as a leader of the Justice League Dark, or even as a member of the main Justice League. In between major events, Swamp Thing can also go on smaller adventures with other characters like the Creature Commandos, who can appear both in animation and live-action within the same continuity. Considering how early his debut movie was announced, Swamp Thing is likely to be a key character in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe, and his role in future chapters will likely reflect that.
Key Release Dates
