James Gunn and Peter Safran’s big dream of a new version of DC Studios is close to becoming a reality, which will kick off with two upcoming highly anticipated projects—Creature Commandos for television and Gunn’s own movie Superman. A DC revamp with these two exciting projects will mark the beginning of several upcoming slates with new actors for different DC roles. Gunn has recently celebrated the anniversary of the original Creature Commandos series in a new post on his social handle.
James Gunn celebrates Creature Commandos anniversary
Creature Commandos is set to be one of the most important series of DC Studios, and the series will cut the ribbon to a new dawn of the studio. The animated series has been hyped since its announcement following James Gunn and Peter Safran’s takeover of the studio as partners to run it as co-CEOs.
Recently, Gunn took to his X account (formerly Twitter) to celebrate the anniversary of the iconic comic book Weird War Tales #93, where Creature Commandos first appear. “Today marks the anniversary of the #CreatureCommandos’ first appearance in WEIRD WAR TALES #93,” Gunn wrote on X. The DC Boss also made sure to give a shout-out to the creators of the characters, J. M. DeMatteis and Pat Broderick, alongside “cover art from Joe Kubert.”
Gunn further shared that the original comic book would be the inspiration for the “forthcoming DC Studios’ #CreatureCommandos show out this December, which you just might love as much as us.” Weird War Tales #93 first came out in the 1980s and close to 40 years later, Creature Commandos—a group of misfits with superpowers—are set to make their mainstream media debut, holding significance to DC’s new universe.
Gunns’ celebration of the team of misfits has also worked as a brush-up ahead of the show’s premiere on HBO and Max in December. Of course, fans are already hyped for the project but Gunns’ verdict on the show makes it even more exciting, as he candidly revealed that he loved the animated series.
What can we expect from Creature Commandos?
The upcoming animated series would not be further from the narrative standpoint of James Gunns’ The Suicide Squad movie. Quite literally, Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller will have command over the ragtag monsters. “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 said via video message in June, addressing the Annecy Animation Festival crowd after the presentation of the show. (Via THR)
James Gunn further stated that his goal has been to unify DC’s films, TV shows, animation, and games under a single vision. By aligning these different mediums, he aims to create a cohesive and consistent DC Universe. This approach allows for diverse and engaging content that stands on its own, delivering “great stand-alone entertainment experiences,” while also contributing to a larger, interconnected narrative.
Gunns’ statement essentially means that the characters in the show “can move in and out of animation or jump into a game or onto the big screen,” but he promised that they will remain “consistent throughout: same character, same history, same actor.”
James Gunn explained that the new series continues right after the finale of Peacemaker season one. In this follow-up, Amanda Waller finds herself in a difficult position, no longer able to easily sacrifice human lives for her secretive and morally ambiguous missions. So, “she recruits a ragtag band of misfits, not unlike the Suicide Squad and Peacemaker.”
While it seems quite similar to previous DC projects, including the Suicide Squad films and Peacemaker, Creature Commandos would rather be an extension of it. But DC Boss stated that what makes the show different is that they “are actual literal monsters,” adding, “I can’t wait for you to meet them. Creating this series has been one of the absolute joys of my life.”
The connection of Creature Commandos to The Peacemaker season 1 makes sense, as the John Cena starrer series has already teased the moral and ethical boundaries of Waller. As for Peacemaker season 2, Cena recently teased that fans can expect his show in 2025.
With Davis returning to voice Waller, Creature Commandos also stars David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein, Alan Tudyk as Doctor Phosphorus, Indira Varma as the Bride, Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr, Zoë Chao as Nina Mazursky, Anya Chalotra as Circe, Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana Rostovic, Steve Agee as John Economos, and Sean Gunn playing two roles—G.I. Robot and Weasel.
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