Posted in: HBO, Max, Movies, TV | Tagged: dc studios, harley quinn, james gunn, zatanna

Victoria Pedretti as Harley Quinn? Dua Lipa as Zatanna? Nope: Gunn

DC Studios co-CEO and writer/director James Gunn put to rest the rumors about Victoria Pedretti as Harley Quinn and Dua Lipa as Zatanna.

With Creature Commandos hitting Max this December, David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan-starring Superman hitting big screens next summer, John Cena-starring Peacemaker Season 2 in production, and movement on shows like Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierce-starring Lanterns and films like Milly Alcock-starring Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow picking up steam, DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran's New DCU is getting busier and busier with each passing day. But that doesn't mean that Gunn still can't find some time to debunk some of the rumors out there being reported as fact, the kinds that blow up on social media based on an "ouroboros"-like reporting cycle that confuses the facts with what usually ends up being pretty far from the truth.

First up, folks out there who believe that Matt Reeves and Warner Bros. Discovery/DC Studios are having "discussions" with Victoria Pedretti (Netflix's You) to play Harley Quinn in a "Batverse" project are about to be disappointed because Gunn confirmed that it wasn't true. Also… not true? That pop sensation Dua Lipa would be playing Zatanna in the New DCU – and that she had signed a ten-year deal. While noting, "I'm a Dua Lipa fan," Gunn put the rumor the rest – noting especially that part about a ten-year contract being in play. "Do they think this is the 1930s?" Gunn posted on Threads, noting that contracts today run on the number of projects and not years of service.

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, 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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