Creature Commandos - Release Window, Cast, Writer, And More Info
Chapter One of James Gunn's new cinematic DC Comics universe is titled "Gods and Monsters." This phrase goes back to a line of dialogue from Dr. Septimus Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger) in James Whale's "Bride of Frankenstein." How fitting then that "Gods and Monsters" kicks off with a Frankenstein-inspired animated TV series: "Creature Commandos."
The premise is simple: A World War II comic in the vein of Marvel's "Sergeant Fury and his Howling Commandos" but with Universal Horror monsters. The original line-up was Lieutenant Matthew Shrieve (a normal human team leader), Sergeant Vincent Velcoro (a vampire), Private Lucky Taylor (a Frankenstein-ian homunculus), Private Warren Griffith (a werewolf), and team medic Dr. Myrra Rhodes (a Medusa-esque Gorgon).
The team was created by legendary writer J.M. DeMatteis and artist Pat Broderick; the Creature Commandos debuted in 1980's "Weird War Tales" #93. Now, an updated version of the team will make it to the silver screen in the form of an animated series, but as you can see based on the art above, the roster will be quite different. Let's dig into what we know about the upcoming "Creature Commandos" TV series below.
When does Creature Commandos premiere?
"Creature Commandos" is currently on track to premiere in 2024 (though no exact release date has been announced yet). Both Gunn and actor Frank Grillo have confirmed the series was not delayed by the recent Screen Actors Guild and Writers Guild of America strikes.
"Creature Commandos" will premiere on MAX, Warner Bros.' streaming service (though who knows what it will be called by then).
This means "Creature Commandos" will premiere ahead of Gunn's movie "Superman: Legacy," currently scheduled to debut in theaters on July 11, 2025. Gunn has described the series as an "aperitif to the DCU" before the true entry point comes with the Last Son of Krypton.
What are the plot details of Creature Commandos?
James Gunn has confirmed that, unlike the original comics set in World War 2, his "Creature Commandos" series is set in the "current day."
According to the official DC Instagram account, the first season is seven episodes long (no word on if they're a half or full hour long). The premise of the series is that Amanda Waller recruits the Commandos to perform black ops missions on behalf of the U.S. government. This makes the Creature Commandos, essentially, a spooky version of the Suicide Squad.
Who is the cast of Creature Commandos?
For starters, Viola Davis will reprise her role as Amanda Waller from live-action DC film and television. Steve Agee also reprises his role as Waller's subordinate John Economos.
As for the Commandos themselves – Frank Grillo (who you might remember as Crossbones in the Marvel Cinematic Universe) will play Rick Flag Sr., the team leader and father of the Colonel Rick Flag seen in both the "Suicide Squad" movies (played by Joel Kinneman).
David Harbour ("Stranger Things") and Indira Varma ("Obi-Wan Kenobi") play Eric Frankenstein and his Bride, respectively.
Alan Tudyk ("Firefly," "Doom Patrol") plays Dr. Phosphorus, who resembles a translucent, radioactive skeleton — Phosphorus is usually depicted as a Batman villain but he's far from the first comic book character Gunn has repurposed.
Zoë Chao ("The Afterparty") plays Dr. Nina Mazursky, who resembles a gender-flipped Creature from the Black Lagoon and, in turn, Abe Sapien from "Hellboy."
Gunn's brother/frequent collaborator Sean Gunn ("Guardians of the Galaxy," "Gilmore Girls,") plays both the Nazi-killing android G.I. Robot and feral mutant the Weasel (reprising his role from "The Suicide Squad").
Maria Bakalova, who voiced Cosmo the Spacedog in Gunn's "Guardians of the Galaxy Vo. 3," plays the original character Princess Ilana Rostovic. Could this be a foreign dignitary the Commandos are assigned to rescue or protect? We can only wait and see.
Who are the writers and producers of Creature Commandos?
James Gunn has confirmed that he personally wrote all seven episodes of "Creature Commandos" season 1. While he is not directing the episodes themselves (with no word yet on who is), Gunn did direct the voice actors' initial recordings.
Also credited as an executive producer is Peter Safran, Gunn's partner in leading DC Studios. Other executive producers include Sam Register (president of Warner Bros. Animation) and Dean Lorey ("Harley Quinn"). Producers include Rick Morales (supervising producer) and Kandace Reuter (producer).
"Creature Commandos" is being produced by DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation. Animation studio Bobbypills also did work on the series.
What to watch before seeing Creature Commandos?
Supposedly, all DC movies and TV released over the past decade (even those Gunn worked on) are non-canon going forward. That said, several actors from the DC Extended Universe are staying on, and Gunn has offered some mixed messaging:
"Some actors will be playing characters they've played in other stories & some plot points might be consistent with plot points from the dozens of films, shows & animated projects that have come from DC in the past."
I find it hard to believe Gunn would tear up his own projects, so it's best to view them as "Schrodinger's Canon" — they count until they don't.
On that note, Gunn's "The Suicide Squad" and spin-off TV series "Peacemaker" are recommended viewing. They have overlapping premises with "Creature Commandos" (Amanda Waller assembles a kooky black-ops team) and they offer a glimpse of the kind of tone, storytelling, and character dynamics one can expect when Gunn writes the DC Universe.
If one wants to brush up on "Creature Commandos" comics? There are the original 1980s stories in "Weird War Tales," the 2000 eight-issue "Creature Commandos" series (by Tim Truman and Scot Eaton), and the 2011 series "Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E." (written by Jeff Lemire then Matt Kindt, drawn by Alberto Ponticelli,) a reimagining on the team that Gunn's "Creature Commandos" seems to be pulling from.
If one wants a taste of the Creature Commandos in animation, they can also check out the three shorts, "DC Nation: Creature Commandos." These owe more to the original comics, from the team line-up to the World War II setting, than Gunn's series will.
Where to watch The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker?
"The Suicide Squad" and "Peacemaker" can both be watched on Max by subscribers; "The Suicide Squad" is also available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. Both the film and series can also be rented or purchased digitally through various digital retailers. Both "The Suicide Squad" and "Peacemaker" also have Blu-ray releases available to buy.
The aforementioned comics can be bought physically at digital retailers or be read digitally via DC Universe Infinite (an online comic reading service collecting most of the comics published over the company's history).
The "DC Nation: Creature Commandos" shorts can be watched for free on DC's official YouTube channel.