Posted in: HBO, Max, Movies, TV | Tagged: james gunn, peacemaker, waller

Waller Moved After Peacemaker "For a Variety of Reasons": James Gunn

James Gunn explained that there was "a variety of reasons" why Waller moved after Peacemaker and also reaffirmed DC Studios' script policy.

Okay, so here's how it goes… again. On December 5th, we get our first taste of DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran's New DCU with the adult animated series Creature Commandos. Personally, we think it was a great decision on a number of levels – especially in terms of showing DC Studios' commitment to animation. From there, the doors to the New DCU get blown off their hinges, with David Corsenswet and Rachel Brosnahan-starring Superman arriving in July 2025. Later next year, the second season of John Cena-starring Peacemaker will arrive – and at some point following, the Viola Davis-starring spinoff series Waller from writers and co-showrunners Christal Henry and Jeremy Carver will arrive.

We're offering that reminder for two reasons. First, because folks (for some reason) are still a little confused about how the order is working. But more important than that, some folks continue to wonder why it takes so long for them to hear about projects that were previously announced in 2023. Aside from unexpected factors like the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes and others, the basic reason comes back to a core philosophy that's been built into the foundation of Gunn and Safran's New DCU. No projects get an official greenlight until the script is ready to go – an important line in the sand for them to draw (and one that we wish other studios would adopt). But with the case of Waller – which an individual referenced on Threads – Gunn noted that there were "a variety of reasons" why the series was moved after Peacemaker. "The only shuffling done was moving 'Waller' after 'PM' for a variety of reasons. And, yes, unlike most studios, we'll never start production on a process if the script isn't finished. Quality is the utmost priority," Gunn responded, adding that most of the projects that have been announced "weren't announced in some definitive order."

"Creature Commandos": Here's What Else You Need to Know…: Earlier this week, Gunn took to social media to confirm that he, Frank Grillo, David Harbour, Zoe Chao, Sean Gunn, Dean Lorey, and Steve Agee will be on hand to preview the adult animated series and how it opens the door to the New DCU on October 19th during their New York Comic Con 2024 (NYCC 2024) panel. Here's a look at Gunn's official announcement confirming the NYCC 2024 panel:

"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. 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.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!