The streaming service DC Universe got off to a strange and rocky start with its premiere series Swamp Thing, which was canceled on the same day that it debuted. Even with this shocking closure, the televised adaptation of one of DC’s most prominent supernatural heroes received great critical and viewer feedback.
Even if it was shortened from 13 to 10 episodes, Swamp Thing wrapped up its key plot points nicely while leaving just enough to keep viewers wanting more. While this may have been perfect for a show with a guaranteed follow-up, these open questions instead frustrate the canceled show’s fans. Here are 10 questions that we have about Swamp Thing that may remain unanswered now that the show won’t be coming back.
Will The Conclave Return?
The Conclave, the corporation that Avery answers to, wants nothing more than to harness and monetize the Swamp Thing’s regenerative abilities. To achieve this, they dispatch scientists and mercenaries into Marais to capture the creature. Predictably, this backfired and resulted in a bunch of dead guys.
The Swamp Thing spares Nathan so he can send a warning to his bosses, but this doesn’t guarantee an end to the conflict. It’s possible that the Conclave could send someone more ruthless to finish the job or eliminate it altogether, endangering all of Marais.
What’s In The Dark?
Swamp Thing reveals that Alec’s resurrection is only the beginning, as he was brought back to serve a higher purpose. Madame Xanadu and Phantom Stranger give multiple warnings that a storm is coming, with the Swamp Thing at the center.
The series ends with Abby and Alec remaining in Marais to fight the coming darkness, but what exactly it is hasn’t been revealed. Comic readers guess that this could be The Rot – which is always looking for a host – but we’ll never know for sure now that the show isn’t coming back any time soon.
What’s Next For The Blue Devil?
By helping Abby and Liz free the Swamp Thing from the Conclave’s experiments, Daniel Cassidy (aka The Blue Devil) finally fulfills his purpose in the grand scheme of things and is able to escape Marais.
Before he leaves his video rental store in Liz’s care, he mentions that the Blue Devil is leading him towards a new path though he’s not sure where it leads. While the curse of the Blue Devil hasn’t left him, we at least know that Daniel is on the road to a new adventure instead of being stuck to the cursed swamp.
Is Avery Done For?
As Swamp Thing progressed, Avery’s dreams of financial success and recognition crumbled. By the end, he’s a paranoid wreck who barely manages to keep himself afloat and above arrest. Worsening his chances is his apparent affliction with the mysterious plant flu caused by Woodrue’s accelerator.
Now that he angered both sides (i.e. his superiors in The Conclave and the forces of The Green), it may only be a matter of time before Avery is killed or worse. Luckily for him, his enemies ran out of episodes to exact their vengeance.
Could The Swamp Resurrect Lucilia?
Avery may have temporarily covered his tracks by drowning a dying Lucilia in the swamp but there’s one oversight: he dumped her in the same swamp that brought back Alec (or at least his spirit) to life.
Time and again, Swamp Thing showed that death isn’t necessarily the end for characters and the same may be said for Lucilia. A possible route that a hypothetical second season could’ve followed was showing her revenge against Avery as a creature of The Green or of the more malevolent forces only now coming out of the dark.
What Will Dr. Woodrue aka Floronic Man Do?
By experimenting on (i.e. eating) some of Alec’s organs, Dr. Woodrue becomes the Flornic Man: one of Swamp Thing’s comic book villains whose self-appointed mission is to exterminate all human life on Earth so that The Green can flourish.
His first and last appearance as the biological villain is in the finale’s post-credits scenes, where he breaks out of prison and embraces his new form. What he plans to do next may never be known now that the series was canceled, which is a pity since his fanatical connection to The Green would’ve been an intriguing contrast to Swamp Thing’s.
Is Matt Really Dead?
After waking up from a coma, Matt returns to the police station only to be (apparently) killed off-screen by Floronic Man. But like his mother, Matt’s death doesn’t guarantee that his role in Swamp Thing has come to an end.
It’s worth noting that Floronic Man is powered by The Green – the same force that resurrected Alec through the Swamp Thing – and Woodrue himself is a mad scientist who wouldn’t be above experimenting his new powers on a hapless human victim. If anything, Matt may be suffering a fate worse than death now that he’s in Woodrue clutches.
Will Liz Expose The Truth?
Over the course of Swamp Thing, Liz – the small town reporter and bartender – has been on Avery’s case. Her assumptions about Avery’s shady dealings and their connections to the outbreak and murders in Marais were proven true, and they predictably led to death threats.
Liz survives with the help of Abby and the Swamp Thing, but the series ends before she does anything with her findings. At best, she tells Avery that she’s on to him. Maybe season two would’ve showed her becoming the established investigative journalist she was in the comics but we’ll never know.
Can Alec Return?
In the show’s penultimate episode, the Swamp Thing discovers the devastating truth about his identity. He’s not the resurrected Alec Holland but a sentient plant that absorbed a dying Alec’s memories, making him a copy of the dead scientist. Or at least that’s what he thinks.
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Abby believes that Alec’s soul still lives in the Swamp Thing, opening the possibility for his return open. While Swamp Thing finds Alec’s corpse, the show is a pragmatic adaptation that takes major liberties with the source material. The chances for Alec’s return may be slim, but they’re still there.
What’s Next For Alec And Abby?
Despite the Swamp Thing not being a resurrected Alec, Abby Arcane stays to face the darkness together and to spend more time with him. The show ends on a bittersweet note as the two decide to stay in Marais together.
The whole series serves as the new origins for the original comics’ core couple and it does a good enough job of setting the foundations, but it doesn’t go further than that. For viewers who want to know how Alec and the Swamp Thing’s relationship blossoms, look no further than the comics.