Due to debut this year, James Gunn’s Creature Commandos marks DC Studios’ first shared universe animated series with characters set to be introduced in both the series and live action projects. That promise makes the premise unique, with an ensemble that includes David Harbour (Stranger Things), Indira Varma (Doctor Who), and Frank Grillo (who’s confirmed as Rick Flag Sr. in the show and Peacemaker season 2).
Beyond that things might be more of us seeing James Gunn doing what he does best, just over at DC Studios. In an interview with the Wrap, Creature Commandos executive producer Dean Lorey (co-creator of Harley Quinn and Kite Man: Hell Yeah!) shared an update on the 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 went on to describe it as “nothing new;” it’s another Amanda Waller gets a new anti-hero gang together for punishment tale, but this time with monsters. Which we think we follow but also is a bit of a head-scratcher of a take.
Lorey continued, “It’s Suicide Squad. He’s done it,” he elaborated, at the risk of sounding well… not risky, which is disappointing because we love that Gunn is usually a risk-taker. The rest feels sort of like whiplash word gymnastics: “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.” It’s quite an endorsement that both tempers expectations but sorta leaves us feeling confused about what we’re excited for.
Previously, David Harbour—who’s playing a classic monster in the series—hyped Creature Commandos to io9 as being “…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.”
Harbour continued. “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. 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.”
Creature Commandos is due out on Max this year.
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