By now, I’m sure you’ve heard that Swamp Thing was unceremoniously canceled less than a week after its first episode premiered on DC Universe. But you may be shocked to discover that even after pulling the plug, the streaming service is still promoting the show as must-watch TV, enraging fans who’ve already dedicated time to the series before it was snatched away.
Despite earning rave critical reviews, DC decided to end the show due to unfortunate budgetary concerns while shooting in Wilmington, North Carolina. Because of misfiled paperwork, the series lost nearly half its budget and had to stop production early before pulling the plug outright. In Warner Bros.’ eyes, it was better to write up Swamp Thing as a total loss rather than salvage a budding franchise, which some fans viewed as a sign the studio isn’t as interested in actually expanding DC’s streaming front as it is in making a quick buck.
While it’s perfectly understandable that the service would want to promote what remains of the show, DC’s now catching flack for emailing subscribers directly, telling them not to miss upcoming episodes of Swamp Thing even though it’s clear they have very little confidence in it.
https://twitter.com/RICHARDLNEWBY/status/1136685363685154817
Nice try at damage control but already unsubscribed. If Swamp Thing is canceled, no word on Doom Patrol S2, not a fan of Titans and have no interest in Stargirl then 🤷🏾♂️🤷🏾♂️🤷🏾♂️
— Cody (@shield1991) June 6, 2019
Things like this? pic.twitter.com/lLEeumILVB
— Just Another Account (@DarknessDemon15) June 6, 2019
Really? #SwampThing was one of your most exciting properties and look what happened.#SaveSwampThing pic.twitter.com/NhzrdjCc5l
— RedHoodie #FreePalestine 🇵🇸 (@RedKnight491) June 6, 2019
https://twitter.com/Reece_Lively/status/1136701479014846465
For fans, this just adds insult to injury. Swamp Thing was heavily promoted before its release, and now it’s obvious that it wasn’t canceled because of low viewership. Meanwhile, two of DC Universe’s biggest hits, Titans and Doom Patrol, are both receiving second seasons, so Warner Bros. clearly has an interest in making sure their streaming service succeeds. In the end, this cancellation just seems like a sensible business move that comes at the unfortunate expense of those already invested in the show’s story.
The small glimmer of good news is that new episodes of Swamp Thing are still expected to drop every week until the finale arrives, which will hopefully wrap up the series in a fitting way for the fans who still “embraced the water.”