When James Gunn unveiled the first slate of projects for the new DC Universe (DCU) at the beginning of 2023, the announcement that Creature Commandos would be the inaugural entry (the “aperitif,” in Gunn’s own words) took many fans by surprise. Gunn’s journey to becoming Co-CEO and Co-Chairman of the freshly rebranded DC Studios alongside his longtime producing partner Peter Safran was a long and winding one. It all began with his sudden firing from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 by Marvel Studios in 2018, which then paved the way for his transition to DC with 2021’s The Suicide Squad and its subsequent spin-off series, Peacemaker, which hit streaming on Max in 2022.
This idiosyncratic slate solidified Gunn as the architect of a revamped DCU, and in many ways, Creature Commandos surprisingly fits as the launchpad for a new continuity. The introduction to this “soft reboot,” dubbed “Chapter One: Gods and Monsters,” is living up to its name so far. The 2025 release of James Gunn’s Superman, starring David Corenswet (Twisters, Pearl) as the Man of Steel and Nicholas Hoult (Nosferatu, The Menu) as the evil Lex Luthor, will fulfill the first half of that title. Meanwhile, this animated foray into darker territory aims to deliver the latter. But does the first season of Creature Commandos even work as a fitting prologue to a new wave of interconnected films and television series?
Set a little over two years after the explosive finale of Peacemaker Season 1, where Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) exposed Amanda Waller’s (Viola Davis) unethical use of Belle Reve prisoners, Creature Commandos finds Waller exploiting a new loophole: forming a team of non-human individuals. Led by Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo), the unconventional team includes the amphibious Nina Mazursky (Zoë Chao), the psychopathic Doctor Phosphorus (Alan Tudyk), one Nazi-obsessed G.I. Robot, Weasel (both voiced by Sean Gunn), and the undead amalgamated corpse only known as The Bride (Indira Varma).
Given a mission to protect Princess Ilana Rostovic (Maria Bakalova) from Amazon sorceress Circe (Anya Chalotra) in the country of Pokolistan, Creature Commandos wastes no time and hits the ground running right from the start of its premiere episode, throwing its titular monsters to the wolves in this new setting. For the most part, the animated DC show excels in using its diverse cast of revolting creatures to their fullest, albeit struggling to reach the finish line with its last couple of episodes.
Creature Commandos deftly builds a rich, lived-in universe, weaving familiar DC locales and characters into the plot without overwhelming the story. Creator-writer James Gunn’s signature touches are here as expected — quirky humor, an eclectic soundtrack, and gory visceral action that plays into the Creature’s varying powersets. Gunn’s style blends seamlessly into the animated medium, in no small part thanks to episode directors Matt Peters and Sam Liu, both of whom boast long resumes working in DC animation.
However, this animated DC series unfortunately stumbles in pacing. With episodes clocking in at around 20-27 minutes each, the main plot involving Princess Rostovic and Circe’s true intentions feels rushed towards the climax and struggles to maintain focus, especially since the show’s structure involves dedicating a flashback to a specific team member in each episode. While pressing the breaks on the pacing often enriches character development and provides fans with the now traditional, incredibly tragic James Gunn origin story, it somewhat detracts from the overarching narrative.
It almost feels like James Gunn is buckling under the weight of projects he has to manage as the head of DC Studios while also wanting to be a creator himself. Between the seven scripts for Creature Commandos, the entirety of Peacemaker Season 2, and the upcoming Superman movie, it’s not surprising that one of these projects has fallen a bit to the wayside. Nonetheless, it’s commendable that Creature Commandos is still as engaging and entertaining as it is, and a more significant part of that is thanks to the stellar voice cast and the team at WB Animation for creating such a colorful and chaotic adventure show.
Even though it looks rigid in some of the show’s more quiet moments, the animation does an incredible job of telling the twisted and enticing story of Creature Commandos. The action is undoubtedly the highlight of the series and where the animation shines the most, as the fluid movements of the characters, paired with their colorful and exuberant designs, align with James Gunn’s vision of evoking the original vibrant Creature Commandos DC comics created by J.M. DeMatteis and Pat Broderick.
Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr. is a stark contrast from Joel Kinnaman’s portrayal of Rick Flag Jr. Old-fashioned, capable, and more than in control of the absurd situation he’s put in, Grillo is a fantastic addition to the DCU. Up next, Sean Gunn puts on a voice that sounds like something from a 1940s radio advertisement as G.I. Robot in a hilarious performance as the military android is obsessed with the idea of killing Nazis. But Zoë Chao, as the innocent and misplaced Nina, is tragic in both a narrative sense and the fact that she feels far underused.
Alan Tudyk, as Phosphorus, is the actor using his usual charm to create an unhinged yet highly memorable performance. The clear standout of Creature Commandos, though, is Indira Varma as The Bride, who delivers a fun and jaded take on the iconic horror monster. What makes The Bride more interesting is the inclusion of her counterpart in Eric Frankenstein, voiced by David Harbour (Stranger Things, Thunderbolts*), who, rather than being a conventional team member, has his own hysterical and unexpected agenda that also brings some of the darker and profound moments of the entire series.
Overall, the Commandos themselves work incredibly well together, but some charm is diminished when the story separates them in the latter half of the season. Creature Commandos subverts expectations early on, setting the stage for an intriguing mystery that goes nowhere by the time the last episode rolls around. There’s a larger, more sinister plot at play, yet clunky exposition keeps it from hitting as hard as it should and might even leave viewers somewhat confused as the animated show reaches an abrupt end.
As it closes the arc of this first 7-episode season, Creature Commandos keeps the door open for more team iterations in future installments. Of course, that’s the point of a cinematic universe like the one DC Studios is currently trying to achieve. However, this is plainly not all that different from Marvel Studios’ model of production and release, no matter how much James Gunn keeps trying to convince fans otherwise on his social media.
Creature Commandos Season 1 has all the James Gunn sensibilities. Even if the animated series skews a little too close to feeling repetitive, as it has some of the exact same beats as The Suicide Squad (2021), it does enough to justify its existence and create excitement for the new DCU. Regardless of its faltering towards the end of the season, Creature Commandos does enough right to warrant a viewing, especially for fans of the lesser-known DC characters who now get a chance to shine.
The first two episodes of Creature Commandos premiere on December 5 on Max!
Premiere Date: December 5, 2024.
Created by James Gunn.
Written by James Gunn.
Based on the DC comics created by J.M. DeMatteis & Pat Broderick.
Showrunner: Dean Lorey.
Executive Producers: James Gunn, Peter Safran, Sam Register, & Dean Lorey.
Main Voice Cast: Steve Agee, Maria Bakalova, Anya Chalotra, Zoë Chao, Frank Grillo, Sean Gunn, David Harbour, Alan Tudyk, Indira Varma, Viola Davis, Benjamin Byron Davis, Michael Rooker, Peter Serafinowicz, & Linda Cardellini.
Composers: Kevin Kiner & Clint Mansell.
Opening Theme: “Moliendo Café” by Hugo Blanco.
Production Companies: DC Studios & Warner Bros. Animation.
Episode Count: 7 (Season One).
