Creatures Commandos will be the first animated TV series of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC Universe. As it draws closer, Gunn has officially narrowed down its release window.
While Gunn and Safran have outlined several projects slated to be part of the DCU’s first chapter, Gods and Monsters, Creature Commandos will be the first of those projects to hit the small screen. Plans for the series are coming together nicely, as Gunn confirmed back in January 2022 that he was close to finishing writing the episodes and, in April, revealed the voice cast for the series.
Creature Commandos will follow the superhuman team of the same name from DC Comics. As the first animated DCU TV series, fans are curious about how Gunn’s vision of connecting animation in the DCU with live-action movies will work. When announcing DCU Chapter One, Gunn revealed that he wants the same actors to portray characters in the DCU in both live-action and animated projects, which is something other franchises, like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, haven’t been able to pull off due to the busy schedules of their actors. Gunn even wants to take it further by having video games become canon in the DCU, too.
How this plan works out will primarily rely on Creature Commandos‘ reception and its prospects. However, with a strong cast, Gunn’s writing, and a unique comic book premise to build on, the show is one of the DCU’s most highly anticipated projects. Here’s everything we know about Creature Commandos so far.
James Gunn provides update on Creature Commandos release window
Creature Commandos does not have a confirmed release date yet. However, Gunn shared via Threads that the show is expected to come out in late 2024. Viewers had hoped for an early or mid-2024 release date, but it is likely to be released in the fall or winter instead. This means there won’t be much of a gap between its release and the premiere of the DCU’s first film, Superman: Legacy.
Who will be in Creature Commandos?
The full main cast for Creature Commandos was announced by Collider, with Gunn later confirming the news. Sean Gunn will be reprising his role as Weasel for Creature Commandos after first portraying the character in 2021’s The Suicide Squad. He will also provide the voice of G. I. Robot, though it’s unclear which version he’ll portray as there are six iterations in the comics. Another familiar cast member is Steve Agee, who will be appearing in the series as John Economos, reprising his live-action role from The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker. Rounding out the returning characters is Viola Davis, who will reprise her role as A.R.G.U.S. director Amanda Waller.
As for the new cast, The Purge star Frank Grillo will be starring as Rick Flag Sr., the father of Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag, Jr., who was killed in The Suicide Squad. Stranger Things and Black Widow star David Harbour will provide the voice of Eric Frankenstein, a DC character based on Mary Shelley’s iconic literary monster. Meanwhile, Game of Thrones star Indira Varma will be portraying Lady Frankenstein, a.k.a. The Bride, who was created by Victor Frankenstein to be a companion to his monster. However, in the DC comics, she is usually depicted as being uninterested in Frankenstein.
Bodies, Bodies, Bodies star Maria Bakalova will portray Princess Ilana Rostovic, an original character created for Creature Commandos, while Strangers star Zoe Chao has been tapped to play Nina Mazursky. In the comics, Mazursky is a brilliant scientist who worked for Super-Human Advanced Defense Executive (S.H.A.D.E.) and created the Creature Commandos. Experimentation also rendered her a fish-human hybrid, making her one with the team. Rounding out the cast is I, Robot and Rogue One voice actor Alan Tudyk as Dr. Phosphorus. Phosphorous was involved in an accident that caused his skin to permanently remain on fire, resulting in him being invited to join the Creature Commandos, though he ultimately betrayed the team.
What is Creature Commandos about?
The plot of Creature Commandos is being mainly kept under wraps. However, the premise seems to be that Waller will organize and lead the Creature Commandos as a black ops team, similar to the Suicide Squad and the Peacemaker team. In the comics, the modern iteration of Creature Commandos was created by S.H.A.D.E., but it is unclear if the show will introduce the organization or simply retcon the team’s origin as the product of ARGUS. One aspect from the older comics that we hope the show will utilize is Dinosaur Island. While this was featured during the World War II version of the crew, the idea of the underdog team exploring an island populated by dinosaurs is intriguing.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen what aspects of the comics Creature Commandos chooses to incorporate as the team has evolved and changed a lot over the years.
(featured image: Warner Bros.)
