1982’sSwamp Thingbeats 8 DCEU films in one surprising way. It has been over 40 years sinceSwamp Thingwas released, and while it’s nowhere near one of DC’s highest-rated films, it still does enough to beat out several recent releases.The DCEU has had a rocky timelinein recent years with a lot of projects receiving reviews that range from mixed to negative. This slump is likely why the studio has opted to reboot the DCEU, turning it into the DCU with characters being recast.
Though James Gunn and Peter Safran’simpending revamp of the DC Universehopes to turn things around, DC will have to sit with the legacy of their recent films for now. There have been some excellent DC Studios releases such asJokerandThe Batman. However, the actual DCEU has been struggling.Swamp Thingmay be an 80s project that not many current fans have seen, but the fact that it outranks several DCEU films should be reason enough for DC fans to give it a chance.
1982’s Swamp Thing Movie Has A Better Rotten Tomatoes Score Than 8 DCEU Movies
Swamp Thingcurrently has a score of 60%onRotten Tomatoes. The rating puts the film above 8 other DCEU projects:Wonder Woman 1984, Man of Steel, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Justice League, Black Adam, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, andSuicide Squad. These 8 films all score below 60%, meaning they are all certified rotten by the website.
60%
58%
Man of Steel (2013)
57%
Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)
49%
39%
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)
34%
29%
Suicide Squad (2016)
26%
Swamp Thingwas released in the 80s and still maintains a better Rotten Tomatoes score than DCEU projects released in the past decade. Of course,a film’s Rotten Tomatoes score isn’t completely indicative of its quality, but it is a good starting point to determine how well-liked it is. It may be surprising to some fans how a niche film likeSwamp Thingcould rank higher than so many DCEU movies, butit’s just reflective of the DCEU’s recent downward trend.
Why 1982’s Swamp Thing Movie Has A Higher Score Than So Many DCEU Movies
The main reason whySwamp Thingfeels like a more enjoyable watch than so many other DCEU movies is becausethe project doesn’t take itself too seriously. The consensus among critics is that whileSwamp Thingisn’t a quality production by any means, the viewer can appreciate the film for what it is. Matt Brunson ofFilm Frenzysaid “It remains one of Wes Craven’s most entertaining and least pretentious outings," while Keith Phipps ofThe Dissolvesaid that “the world is duller for not letting oddball efforts like this slip into theaters once in a while.”
10 Actors Who Could Play The DC Universe’s Swamp Thing
A Swamp Thing film was confirmed to be on the horizon for the DC Universe. Here are 10 picks for actors who could easily fill the role.
WhereSwamp Thingfalls flat in its execution, it makes up for in pure entertainment value. The 8 DCEU movies thatSwamp Thingranks above also fall flat in various ways, butthey feel much duller because of the serious tone they run with. Even for a film likeSuicide Squadwhich is meant to play like a comedy, fans can tell that the studio still wants it to be taken seriously.Swamp Thingis a product of its time without trying to be more, simply translating to pure entertainment that so many other DCEU movies just don’t have.
