Certainly one of the most interesting timing situations we’ve seen lately. Right after a report broke that DC Universe’s Swamp Thing series had ceased production three episodes early, we get a character reveal teaser. Perhaps it’s a way to ensure the public the show is actually happening. Swamp Thing was one of the nascent streaming service‘s announced tent poles. At any rate, now we get our very first look at Derek Mears as the elemental hero himself.
There obviously isn’t a lot to go on in the video. It is just a teaser after all. But it nevertheless displays the mood of executive producer James Wan’s take on the character. We also get a pretty great head-on look at Mears’ makeup. If we brighten up the image a bit and compare it to some of the comic’s best images, you can see they’re very close.
One of the hallmarks of Swamp Thing’s look is the distinctive root-ridge over his nose. The red eyes also convey the mixture of magic and menace. The character debuted in DC’s House of Secrets #92 in 1971 in a story by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson. From there, a mythology was born in the pages of Swamp Thing from 1972-1976. Employing horror, sci-fi, and high melodrama, Wein and Wrightson’s series became a massive hit. Alan Moore eventually took over writing duties in 1984 and the comic, Saga of the Swamp Thing, brought in elements of magic and cosmicism as well.
We can only hope Wan’s series will be able to weave all of those elements together in a satisfying 10-episode arc. Joining Mears in the cast is Andy Bean as Alec Holland, the scientist who becomes Swamp Thing. Other prominent comic characters Abby Arcane, Matt Cable, Dr. Jason Woodrue, and Avery Sunderland will be played by Crystal Reed, Henderson Wade, Kevin Durand, and Will Patton, respectively.
It’s at least good to know the series will happen, even if it’s short-lived.
Images: DC
Kyle Anderson is the Editor at Large for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Twitter!
