The Real Reason DC Universe Just Canceled 'Swamp Thing'

What lurks in the swamp is looking to be stuck there for a while as DC Universe has canceled “Swamp Thing” after one episode.

Deadline reported on Thursday that the brand-new DC Comics adaptation would end after just one season, following a spate of troubles that dogged the streaming series ahead of its May 31 premiere.

“Swamp Thing,” the critically-lauded third live-action series released exclusively on the DC Universe specialty streaming service, saw its production abruptly shut down early and its initial episode order cut from 13 to 10. Since then, the reasons for this swift shortening and cancellation have come into focus.

“Swamp Thing” had been filming in Wilmington, North Carolina. Due to a communication mishap, the state's House of Representatives appropriations committee had believed there to be upwards of $67 million to devote to local film and television productions. In truth, the state only had about $31 million, and “Swamp Thing” qualified for only $12 million in grant funding. Meanwhile, "Swamp Thing" Season 1 was rumored to have a production budget of near $85 million.

While DC Universe has yet to comment on the cancellation, the issue of cost might have been exacerbated by recent concerns over DC Universe’s lagging subscriber base due to its niche nature, as well as with the service’s unclear future as WarnerMedia, DC Universe’s parent company, prepares its own streaming platform to compete with Netflix and Disney+.

“Swamp Thing” is produced by James Wan (“Aquaman”) and his company Atomic Monster Productions, and co-written by Gary Dauberman (“It”) and Mark Verheiden. Based on the character created by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson in 1971, the series follows the relationship between scientists Abby Arcane (Crystal Reed) and Alec Holland (Andy Bean), the latter of whom becomes the monstrous Swamp Thing (Derek Mears) after his seeming death. As of the time of its cancellation, the series boasted a 92-percent positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The remaining episodes of “Swamp Thing” will be released weekly on DC Universe.