James Gunn’s ‘Creature Commandos’ Trailer Kicks Off New DCU

When you get permission to rule over the DC Universe, what’s the first franchise to take up, up, and away? If you ask DC’s new boss James Gunn, the answer is, of course, Creature Commandos. Wait, creature what-now? Slated to premiere on Max on December 5, Creature Commandos is a new adult-oriented animated series based on a mighty obscure superhero team from DC Comics. On day two at New York Comic Con 2024, series creator James Gunn appeared on the main stage — along with members of the show’s cast — and revealed why Creature Commandos, of all things, is launching the “new” DCU – and what it might foreshadow about the DCU’s future.

Gunn began work on the show entirely of his own volition after the success of his other DC series Peacemaker. “The truth is, I had talked to Max after Peacemaker did so well. I talked to Peter Girardi at WB Animation about creating an animated series,” Gunn explained. “I like the Creature Commandos. I love monsters. I love Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein. It just seemed like the perfect thing to do. I wrote the scripts without even having a deal, and I happened to get hired as the head of DC Studios. And I very graciously, thank you self, greenlit the show.”

During the panel, a new two-minute trailer for Creature Commandos premiered to rapturous enthusiasm from the audience. With a vivid art and animation style with deep, bold colors, the trailer introduces each member of the Creature Commandos, voiced by David Harbour (as Eric Frankenstein), Indira Varma (as the Bride), Frank Grillo (as Rick Flagg Sr.), Alan Tudyk (as Dr. Phosphorus), Zoë Chao (as Nina Mazursky), and Sean Gunn (as both G.I. Brobot and reprising his Weasel from The Suicide Squad), as well as all their unique monstrous abilities. The trailer goes hard and heavy on the bloodletting, along with some cameos from other DC characters like Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller.

“We want this to be very different from what Superman is going to be when that comes out,” Gunn said. “We want Peacemaker to be different from that.”

Gunn also confirmed DC actors will portray their characters across live-action and animation productions. For example: Frank Grillo, who stars as Rick Flagg Sr., will reprise his Creature Commandos role in both Superman and Peacemaker season 2. (Grillo commented that his white hair as Rick Flagg conflicted with his shooting schedule for Paramount’s Tulsa King.)

Name-dropping in-development projects like Supergirl and Lanterns and insisting they will be different too, Gunn clarified “it’s a connected universe, but we’re not imposing any sort of overall aesthetic. And Creature Commandos is definitely its own thing.”