James Gunn’s film is expected to debut this year. Creature Commandos marks the first shared universe animated series from DC Studios with characters that will be introduced in both the series and live action projects. This promise makes the concept unique, with an ensemble cast that includes David Harbour (Strange things), Indira Varma (Doctor Who), and Frank Grillo (who is confirmed as Rick Flag Sr. on the show and Peacemaker season 2).
Beyond that, we might just see James Gunn doing what he does best, just at DC Studios. Interview with the Wrap, Creature Commandos executive producer Dean Lorey (co-creator of Harley Quinn And Kite Man: Fuck yeah!) shared an update on the series: “This will be James Gunn’s first expression of the DC Universe. We’re looking at that canon, and I think it expresses his perspective, tonally, on where he wants the universe to go.” Lorey went on to describe it as “nothing new”; it’s another punishment story in which Amanda Waller assembles a new gang of anti-heroes, but this time with monsters. Which we think is following, but is also a little confusing.
Lorey continued: “It’s Suicide Squad“He did it,” he explained, at the risk of sounding… not risky, which is disappointing because we like Gunn to be a risk-taker in general. The rest is just a kind of verbal whiplash gymnastics: “People won’t be surprised by what it is, but I think they’ll be really encouraged by how completely it’s going to inform this new version of the DCU, which I’m very excited about.” It’s a pretty strong endorsement that tempers expectations but leaves us a little confused about what we’re excited about.
Previously, David Harbour, who plays a classic monster in the series, had promoted Creature Commandos to io9 “…very different. I mean, it’s the mind of James Gunn, so it’s weird and strange, but also very deep and complex. The most interesting thing to me about Frankenstein’s monster in general is that he was created to be this kind of erudite, intellectual, romantic, brilliant person, and he ends up being a monster. I mean, that complexity can make for some pretty mature comedy and also some pathos – that a guy who sees himself as one thing, is seen by other people as something very different.”
Harbour continued: “That’s the broadest, most arcane way of saying it, because all I know is the scripts are really good. What we’ve got on the tape is really great. I’ve seen the art, James is a genius. I think it’s going to be really fun and really exciting, and it opens up a whole new door into the DC Universe and how these characters are going to occupy the world. I love the concept of going back and forth between live action and cartoon.”
Creature Commandos is due out on Max this year.
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