James Gunn has recently celebrated the anniversary of the origin of Creature Commandos, a group of ragtag monsters set to make major media spotlight being the first project in the new DC Universe created by James Gunn and Peter Safran. But Gunn’s celebration of the characters does not inherently make up for the weird endorsement of the show by its executive producer Dean Lorey.
James Gunn Celebrates Creature Commandos’ Origin
For James Gunn and Peter Safran, Creature Commandos is one of the most important projects for the new DC Universe as the animated series will kick start the newly designed DC atmosphere created by Gunn and Safran. Gunn has recently taken to X to celebrate the origin of the characters.
Today marks the anniversary of the #CreatureCommandos’ first appearance in WEIRD WAR TALES #93. They were created by @JMDeMatteis and Pat Broderick, with cover art from Joe Kubert, and are the inspiration for the forthcoming DC Studios’ #CreatureCommandos show out this December… pic.twitter.com/VDlGrdjHvq
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) August 14, 2024
“Today marks the anniversary of the #CreatureCommandos’ first appearance in WEIRD WAR TALES #93. They were created by @JMDeMatteis and Pat Broderick, with cover art from Joe Kubert, and are the inspiration for the forthcoming DC Studios’ #CreatureCommandos show out this December which you just might love as much as us,” Gunn tweeted.
The celebration from the DC Boss ahead of its December release makes a compelling case for the show as Gunn teased that he has immensely enjoyed the show. As Gunn stated, the original Creature Commandos team first appeared in 1980’s Weird War Tales #93 created by J. M. DeMatteis and Pat Broderick comprising a team of monsters.
Creature Commandos Exec Producers’ Weird Endorsement
As Gunn-created animated series is set to kick-start the new beginning of DC Studios, Creature Commandos executive producer Dean Lorey previously sat down with The Wrap to discuss the forthcoming hyped show. “That’s going to be the first expression of James Gunn’s DC Universe. We’re considering that canon, and I think it expresses his perspective, tonally, on where he wants the universe to go,” Lorey who served as co-creator of Harley Quinn and Kite Man: Hell Yeah! told the outlet.
Fair enough, in fact, the good news is the show will be in the new DC canon but it gets a little weird when he describes the show as “nothing new.” He is not entirely wrong in his justification of the point. It follows a similar narrative and thematic structure to James Gunn’s own The Suicide Squad where Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller collects a group of misfits for dangerous missions without having to worry about their death. “It’s Suicide Squad. He’s done it,” he added.
“People aren’t going to be surprised by what it is, but I think they’ll be really encouraged to see how completely it’s going to inform this new version of the DCU, which I’m very excited about.”
Obviously, Lorey is candid about expressing his take on the show. But it leaves fans in a quite ambiguous state. James Gunn’s recent celebration of the creatures does not entirely make up for it. Still, it does not diminish the expectation despite the similarity of the narratives.
This Creature Commandos Star Begs To Differ
Creature Commandos stars Steve Agee as John Economos, Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana Rostovic, Anya Chalotra as Circe, Zoë Chao as Nina Mazursky, Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., Sean Gunn as G.I. Robot and Weasel, Alan Tudyk as Doctor Phosphorus, Indira Varma as the Bride and finally David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein. Harbour who has been a recurring star of Netflix flagship Stranger Things and star of upcoming MCU slate Thunderbolts*, previously told io9 that the upcoming DC animated series would be “very different.”
“I mean, it’s the mind of James Gunn so it is wacky and strange, but also full of a lot of depth and complexity. The most interesting thing to me about Frankenstein’s monster in general is that he was created to be this sort of erudite, intellectual, romantic, brilliant person, and he winds up being a monster. I mean, that complexity can make for some pretty ripe comedy and also pathos—that a guy who considers himself one thing, is viewed by others as something very different.”
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Harbour did not shy away from praising Gunn while adding further hype for the show. He adds, “That’s the broadest, most mysterious way I can put it, because all I know is the scripts are really good. What we recorded is really great. I’ve seen the art.”
James is “a genius,” he said adding, “I think it’s going to be really fun and really exciting, and it opens up a whole new door to the DC Universe of how these characters will occupy the world. I like the concept of a live action and cartoon back and forth.”
James Gunn Pointed Out One key Difference Creature Commandos Will Have
Although Dean Lorey was brutally honest about the show, Gunn has pointed out one key difference the show will have as compared to The Suicide Squad. Oscar-winner Davis will reprise her DC role in the series that follows the events after Peacemaker season 2. “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,” the Superman director said at the Annecy Animation Festival in June while presenting the series (via THR). “Instead, she recruits a ragtag band of misfits, not unlike the Suicide Squad and Peacemaker,” he added.
But the different and interesting aspect of the show is, as Gunn stated, the central characters “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.”
Creature Commandos is set for a December 2024 release on HBO and Max.
