The upcoming Swamp Thing movie faces a possible obstacle in the form of the MCU's Man-Thing. One of the characters who will take part in the first chapter of the DC Universe, "Gods and Monsters" is Swamp Thing, avatar of the Green. Although the creature had a short-lived live-action series in 2019, DC's Swamp Thing movie will mark the first time Alec Holland will appear on the big screen since the campy 1982 and 1989 Swamp Thing and The Return of Swamp Thing B-movie attempts to bring the DC character to life.
Swamp Thing is a powerful but kindhearted hero who's fueled by nature. A scientist-turned-monster, Swamp Thing generally stays away from mankind unless humans threaten his habitat, at least until other less-than-perfect heroes require his assistance. These characteristics make Swamp Thing a pretty unique DC character, but his similarities with a Marvel anti-hero could become a problem for his upcoming live-action adaptation.
DC’s Swamp Thing And Marvel’s Man-Thing May Be Too Similar
Like DC's Swamp Thing, Marvel's Man-Thing is a scientist whose experiment goes wrong and transforms him into a hideous swamp monster. Both creatures are virtually invincible thanks to their regenerative properties, and their connection to nature allows them to reappear in different places in a matter of seconds. Swamp Thing and Man-Thing are reclusive but heroic. Still, they don't care too much about superhero matters unless Earth is truly at risk.
Man-Thing made his MCU debut in 2022's Werewolf By Night, and the DC Universe is set to introduce Swamp Thing within the next few years. To top it off, it's possible for the MCU's Man-Thing to join a team of Marvel anti-heroes — the Midnight Sons — while Swamp Thing can set up Justice League Dark, a group of dark DC characters who deal with the supernatural. Swamp Thing and Man-Thing are already quite similar, and their respective franchises' timing only pulls them closer together.
How Swamp Thing Can Be Different From Man-Thing
Fortunately, there are some differences that DC's Swamp Thing movie can highlight to set Alec Holland apart from Marvel's Man-Thing. Swamp Thing is a protector of nature, while Man-Thing is the keeper of the Nexus of All Realities, a multiversal gateway. And unlike Man-Thing, Swamp Thing is always powered by nature, regardless of how long he spends outside his swamp. Swamp Thing also has much more screen time to develop Alec Holland's backstory and the lore of the Green. And although Marvel is still beating DC at introducing a dark team, Swamp Thing can set up a Justice League Dark movie more directly.
