Creature Commandos (TV series)
The first DCU series, featuring a monster black ops team.
Creature Commandos is an adult animated superhero series from James Gunn, debuting on Max as the first TV show in the DC Universe. It centers on a black ops squad of monsters recruited by Amanda Waller. Based on the DC Comics team, the series is produced by DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Superhero
- Creator
- James Gunn
- Based on
- Characters from DC
- Showrunner
- Dean Lorey
- Starring
- Indira Varma
- Sean Gunn
- Alan Tudyk
- Zoë Chao
- David Harbour
- Frank Grillo
- Opening theme
- "Moliendo Café", Fanfare Ciocarlia
- Music
- Kevin Kiner; Clint Mansell
- Country
- United States
Facts from the source article.
Cast and characters
Indira Varma voices the Bride, a homunculus created from female corpses to be Eric Frankenstein's companion, who becomes leader of Task Force M. James Gunn said Varma's performance adds a "whole other dimension" to the character. Sean Gunn voices G.I. Robot, a military android designed to kill Nazis, whose performance brought a "sweet, mechanic innocence" to the role; early designs resembled a trash can and 1950s sci-fi robots before a friendlier final design. Sean Gunn also voices Weasel, an anthropomorphic rodent-like member of Task Force M and the Suicide Squad, compared to the Tasmanian Devil; Gunn said Weasel's backstory would be explored, described by showrunner Dean Lorey as "heartbreaking, touching and emotional". Alan Tudyk voices Doctor Phosphorus, a scientist turned crime lord with radioactive powers, incorporating the Kirby Krackle effect into his flaming skin; Tudyk also voices Will Magnus, a robotics scientist who studied G.I. Robot in the 1960s, basing his performance on Mike Nichols, and reprises his role as Clayface from the Harley Quinn series, with producer Peter Safran confirming this is the Matt Hagen version. Zoë Chao voices Nina Mazursky, a mutant with aquatic features who requires a containment suit on land.
Production
James Gunn was hired in October 2018 to write and direct The Suicide Squad, working with producer Peter Safran. They later expanded that film into the spin-off series Peacemaker. Discovery formed in April 2022, David Zaslav sought a leader for DC Entertainment, and Gunn and Safran were named co-CEOs of DC Studios in October 2022. A week later, they began developing an eight-to-ten-year plan for a new DCU, a "soft reboot" of the DCEU. Gunn discussed an animated series for Max after Peacemaker's success; when Max asked for another show, he wrote the seven-episode series as spec scripts within a few weeks, based on the Creature Commandos team, without a deal. After being hired to lead DC Studios, he greenlit the project. On January 31, 2023, Gunn and Safran unveiled the DCU slate beginning with Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, with Creature Commandos as the first project, intended as an "aperitif" before Superman. Gunn said the series was integral to the DCU, establishing consistent character treatment across mediums. Warner Bros. Animation co-produced the series, with executive producers including Gunn and Safran.
Marketing
A making-of session and presentation for the series with Balak and Morales took place at the 2024 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, introduced via video message by Gunn, who could not attend due to his Superman filming schedule. Two storyboard sequences and character and location designs were shown. Rafael Motamayor of /Film and Kambole Campbell of Animation Magazine criticized Gunn's video message as boring and overly focused on corporate strategy, but were more positive about the rest of the presentation; Motamayor noted that a change from the new Belle Reve design to one resembling The Suicide Squad met with "palpable disappointment". Campbell hoped the creative intentions of Balak and Bobbypills would come through in the final series. Gunn made a surprise appearance at a San Diego Comic-Con panel in July 2024 and released the first teaser trailer. A full trailer was released at New York Comic Con in October, attended by Gunn, Lorey, and several cast members. Commentators described the trailer as "colorful, madcap", "darkly funny, energetic, and gory", and noted its vivid art style and heavy violence.
Reception
Reviews for Creature Commandos were positive. The A.V. Club said the series was unmistakably a product of Gunn's sensibilities and another successful example of his bringing success to niche characters. Screen Rant's Ben Gibbons felt the first episode copied Gunn's Suicide Squad introduction but said the show improved, praising the music and "beautiful" animation, concluding it created "a very worthy foundation for the DCU". Collider found it natural for Gunn to tell a sympathetic story about misfits, praising the animation style as a midpoint between Harley Quinn and typical DC direct-to-video films. ComicBook.com's Charlie Ridgely gave a 5 out of 5 rating, saying viewers would fall in love with every team member and praising Gunn's ability to make audiences laugh and cry without sacrificing story. IGN gave an 8/10, questioning the DCEU–DCU canon overlap but calling it a "solid job" at bridging old and new DC media. Total Film's Lauren Milici praised the NSFW elements, crude humor, and complex anti-heroes, but criticized the length and underuse of characters Economos and Flag.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who stars in Creature Commandos (TV series)?
Creature Commandos stars Indira Varma, Sean Gunn, Alan Tudyk, Zoë Chao, David Harbour and Frank Grillo.
Which network aired Creature Commandos (TV series)?
Creature Commandos aired on HBO Max.
When did Creature Commandos (TV series) first air?
Creature Commandos first aired on 5 December 2024.
More in Television Series by Warner Bros. Animation
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