Posted in: Comics, HBO, Max, Movies, TV | Tagged: dc studios, dcu, james gunn

DC Studios: James Gunn on What He Believes "Comics Accurate" Means

DC Studios CEO James Gunn weighed in on the debate over canon and what "comics accurate" means, sharing what he believes it means.

So when DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran's Creature Commandos hits Max screens next month, will it be… "comics accurate"?!?! For us, that's a term that sends chills down our spines, gets the hairs on our arms to stand on end, and makes the far corner of our left eye bleed just a little. Why? Because – if the term is used wisely – it can help comic fans connect with film, television, video games, or other adaptations. But more often than not, it gets used to draw some kind of metaphorical gatekeeping line in the sand… that no film or series dare cross! Also, which comics should be "The Bible" from which an adaptation stems? Take a second and think about how many different takes there have been on just Superman and Batman alone since they first hit the printed page (and let's not even start on all of those "Crisis"-level crossover events and how they "change everything" – until the next "game-changing" crossover).

Gunn ventured into this topic on Threads earlier today when a fan requested that Green Arrow be "comics accurate" when he is eventually introduced into the New DCU. Gunn's response was to show several different comic takes on the character before asking which one someone should choose. Another fan followed by saying that "comics accurate" should mean accurate to the current canon. That's when Gunn brought up the matter of characters having various takes over their run and how long-running readers shouldn't be left hanging while all of the focus is on the current canon. "I don't think it means 'in current canon' as all of these characters have their up years & down years & not always at the same time. I don't think current readers should be weighted 100% & lifelong readers weighted 0%. Things evolve. Also, the DCU is a different universe than DC comics, just as Black Label is different from mainstream continuity," Gunn explained. So, how would Gunn define the term? "'Comics accurate' to me means staying true to the nature of the character, which is obviously subjective, so every adaptor can only do his or her best," he added.

DC Studios' Creature Commandos: James Gunn Offers 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. In addition, Michael Rooker, Peter Serafinowicz, Linda Cardellini, Benjamin Byron Davis (Rupert Thorne), and Gregg Henry are on board as guest voices. Kevin Kiner and Clint Mansell (Peacemaker, Doom Patrol) are scoring the animated series,

First introduced by J.M. DeMatteis and Pat Broderick 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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