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Creature Commandos "First Expression of James Gunn's DC Universe": EP

EP Dean Lorey (Harley Quinn, Kite Man: Hell, Yeah!) addresses the importance of Creature Commandos setting the stage for a New DCU.

Last week, the schedule release for San Diego Comic-Con 2024 (SDCC 2024) offered fans some new looks at DC Studios Co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran's upcoming adaptation of writer J. M. DeMatteis & artist Pat Broderick's Creature Commandos. Expected to hit screens later this year, the animated series serves as our first full introduction to Gunn and Safran's New DCU – seven months or so before David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan-starring Superman hits the big screens. In fact, we already have a sense of the importance now that it's been confirmed that Frank Grillo's Rick Flag, Sr. will be popping up on the live-action side of things for both Superman and the second season of Max's John Cena-starring Peacemaker.

Speaking with The Wrap during a Television Critics Association (TCA) Summer Press Event, EP Dean Lorey (Harley Quinn, Kite Man: Hell, Yeah!) explained that while Gunn may be back in some familiar territory, Creature Commandos will be setting the stage for a new universe to come – no small feat. "That's going to be the first expression of James Gunn's DC Universe. We're considering that canon, and I think it expresses his perspective, tonally, on where he wants the universe to go," Lorey noted. "It's 'Suicide Squad.' He's done it. People aren't going to be surprised by what it is, but I think they'll be really encouraged to see how completely it's going to inform this new version of the DCU, which I'm very excited about."

Creature Commandos: James Gunn Offers More Details

Thanks to a video presentation from Gunn (busy working on Superman and Peacemaker Season 2) during the 2024 Annecy International Animation Festival, we learned much more about what we can expect – and yes, those in attendance got a look at the adult animated series (though not released). The first look involved Waller (Viola Davis), G.I. Robot (Sean Gunn), Nina (Zoe Chao), and the topic of killing Nazis, followed by a fight scene between deep-sleeper Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo) and Dr. Phosphorus (Alan Tudyk)

"It's a cornerstone of the legacy we've been entrusted to carry at DC Studios and plays an integral role in the vision for our future storytelling," Gunn shared with those in attendance. "Since taking the reins, our true north has been to bring DC film, TV, animation, and gaming into alignment under a single banner and bring a sense of unity and consistency into the DCU as a whole. This frees us to create a range of products that are diverse and compelling and deliver great stand-alone entertainment experiences on every medium while also being part of a larger story that we're telling within our unified DCU."

Gunn continued, "What this means in practical terms is that our characters can move in and out of animation or jump into a game or onto the big screen, but they will remain consistent throughout: same character, same history, same actor." For example, Davis is reprising her live-action role as Amanda Waller for the animated series, and Grillo's animated Rick Flag Sr. will be making the jump into live-action for the second season of Max's Peacemaker. From there, Gunn shared that the series will pick up "directly" from the first season finale of the John Cena-starring series – with Waller finding "her hands tied operationally."

"The new series picks up directly after our 'Peacemaker' season one finale, which leaves Waller with her hands tied operationally, meaning that she's no longer able to get away with putting human lives on the line to carry out her clandestine morally questionable missions. Instead, she recruits a ragtag band of misfits, not unlike the Suicide Squad and Peacemaker," Gunn revealed during the video presentation. That makes our leads a very different kind of hero than what viewers may have been used to in the past – and that's one of the things Gunn loves about the series: they "are actual literal monsters, and I can't wait for you to meet them. Creating this series has been one of the absolute joys of my life."

The role call for the adult animated series (and any potential live-action takes) includes Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., with Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana Rostovic, Indira Varma as The Bride, Zoe Chao as Nina Mazursky, Alan Tudyk as Dr. Phosphorus, David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein, Sean Gunn as G.I. Robot & Weasel, Steve Agee returning as John Economos, and Anya Chalotra taking on the role of Circe.

First introduced in Weird War Tales #93 (November 1980), the comic book series focused on Frankenstein's monster teaming with a werewolf, a vampire, and a gorgon to fight Nazis in World War II. The series has the distinction of being the first DCU project that Gunn & Safran gave the green light to (with Gunn having penned the series) and the first from DC Studios that will hit screens. In addition, the series is being cast with voice actors who could also play their characters in a live-action project down the road.

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