The "BH90210" actor reflects on the abrupt end of the Wilmington-shot body horror series for DC Universe.

LOS ANGELES – As Ian Ziering returns to the world of “Beverly Hills, 90210” that made him a household name, he’s still mourning the sudden demise of what could have been another defining role.

Ziering was among the cast of “Swamp Thing,” the ill-fated DC Universe streaming series shot in Wilmington, N.C. that made headlines in May when it was cancelled after airing just one episode.

Rumors swirled the service and producer Warner Bros. TV weren’t high on the show and that the high-concept adaptation of the comic book series came with a staggering price tag. But the abrupt end after just one season left fans and the cast reeling with unanswered questions.

Ziering is still processing the murky end to the series.

“The cancellation of ‘Swamp Thing’ is the single most disappointing thing in my professional career,” he said Wednesday at a party on the Fox Studios lot for the 2019 Television Critics Association summer press tour.

Earlier in the day, Ziering joined his former (and now present) “Beverly Hills, 90210” costars to talk to press about “BH90210,” the not-a-reboot, not-quite-a-revival series featuring them playing exaggerated versions of themselves trying to stage a reboot of the classic series.

More recently known for campy fare like “Sharknado” and the upcoming “Zombie Tidal Wave,” Ziering took to heart the chance to join the cast of “Swamp Thing,” which was envisioned as a multi-season venture into body horror for subscription streaming service DC Universe. Ahead of its premiere in May, the series even garnered high praise from critics and fans.

“Not only was it one of the best crews I’ve ever worked with, it was one of the most interesting and fascinating characters I’ve ever played,” Ziering said.

That character was Daniel Cassidy, a former actor turned video store owner in the tragic town of Marais, Louisiana, where a sinister and deadly swamp has created the title elemental hero. Meanwhile, Cassidy progresses from friendly neighborhood businessman to full-fledged Blue Devil throughout the first and final season, who reaps his malevolent power from the costume he wore on the big screen – a dark turn Ziering loved playing.

“Daniel Cassidy turning into the Blue Devil was a dream come true for my inner 8-year-old,” he said Wednesday.

Sequestered away from Hollywood while the series filmed in Wilmington, Ziering said he came to love the town, making friends with the “Swamp Thing” experts at Memory Lane Comic Book Shop on Princess Street and eating “one of the best burgers I’ve ever had” at Fork N’ Cork.

“People were just so friendly in Wilmington,” he said. “I really miss being down there.”

Although Ziering is putting his full focus on “BH90210” (which he hopes goes several seasons) and Syfy’s “Zombie Tidal Wave” out Aug. 17, he isn’t losing all hope of returning to the swamp down the road.

“I hope that one day, ‘Swamp Thing’ will rise again,” he said.

Reporter Hunter Ingram can be reached at Hunter.Ingram@StarNewsOnline.com. Hunter is a member of the Television Critics Association.