The slow realization of the DC Universe’s Swamp Thing series looks like it is speeding up as new character descriptions offer details about the TV show’s villain. For nearly two months, the show slated for a 2019 release on the DC Universe streaming service has been in a state of preproduction. Now, the cast is filling out, and the production team is in search of the shows’ villain.
Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson’s Swamp Thing character made his first appearance in a 1971 issue of the DC anthology series House of Secrets. Following the anthology series, Swamp Thing delivered its own series in 1972. James Wan, who is slated to be a part of the production team, has the opportunity to delve into over 30 years of stories, but it is likely the series will lean heavily toward Wein’s early work on the character.
More character descriptions have been shared by That Hashtag Show. The descriptions detail what fans can expect of the series’ villain. According to That Hashtag Show, the production team is looking for someone in their “late-40s to late-50s in the mold of Lawrence Fishburne or Jeff Goldblum” to fill the role of a slick, intuitive, and cunning villain. Knowing that Abby Arcane is one of the principal characters for the show, it would not come as a surprise if the villain was revealed to be Dr. Anton Arcane. Further, the show is casting someone in their mid-30s for the role of Matt Cable, looking in the vein of Westworld’s James Marsden, with the description reading:
Prior to this news, it was reported that Abby Arcane and Alec Holland will function as the show’s principal characters. Holland’s character is described as a scientist, able to transform into a type of swamp monster following an attack on his lab. Abby Arcane, the niece of mad scientist Dr. Anton Arcane, develops a close relationship with Holland that, in the latter half of the series, becomes more intimate.
He is the sheriff of the town and former high school sweetheart to Abby Arcane. A good guy with anger issues.
The 1982 film adaptation, along with its 1989 sequel, featured Dr. Anton Arcane and Alec Holland as the protagonist and antagonist of the respective adaptations. In the context of the films, Dr. Arcane “cured” Holland of his powers. The “cure” ultimately lead to Holland’s powers being stripped away. Holland would turn into his final form of Swamp Thing. In the films, it was Dr. Arcane’s intention to use those powers to render his evil plans.
There are a number of story trajectories the DC Universe’s Swamp Thing could take on. It is not fully confirmed that the villain of the series will be Dr. Anton Arcane. However, given the description and previous adaptations of the character, it would not come as a surprise. Moving forward, production will begin for the series in September, with a release date for 2019 to follow.
MORE: Alex Garland Would Direct DC’s Swamp Thing If Given The Chance
Source: That Hashtag Show
