DC Studios co-head James Gunn has announced he is writing and producing an HBO Max animated series about the superhero team, the Creature Commandos. This show is one of many projects that Gunn says will be part of the first chapter of his DC Universe reboot. Speaking of the series, Gunn said that DC would “move the characters into animation, out of animation, usually casting the same actor who plays them live,” meaning audiences could see these heroes turn into live-act in the future.
The Creature Commandos are an unusual choice for a superhero series, given their unremarkable status in the comic book world. Despite this, Gunn has already surprised audiences by taking characters from the D-list Peacemaker and Guardians of the Galaxy and making them into overnight stars. The team also fits the theme of the DCU’s first chapter, aptly titled “Gods and Monsters.” Even so, it wouldn’t hurt to learn more about this strange group of heroes before they roll out on HBO Max.
Origins of comics
Debut in Strange War Tales #93 set in 1980, the Creature Commandos are a team of super soldiers created by a secret government organization called Project M. They were specifically designed to fight the Nazis during World War II while scaring them with their creepy appearances. The original team consists of a human leader (Lt. Matthew Shrieve), a werewolf (Warren Griffith), a vampire (Vincent Velcro), a Frankenstein-style monster (Elliot Taylor ) and a gorgon (Myrra Rhodes). And everyone thought Rocket and Groot were weird.
The Creature Commandos are basically the Suicide Squad but with Universal Classic Monsters. And as you’d expect from comic book characters like these, they’ve embarked on some bizarre missions together. For example, they battled Nazi androids, traveled to an island filled with dinosaurs, and discovered an underwater colony of Atlantis. Eventually, the Commandos were launched into space by accident while piloting a missile that was supposed to hit Berlin, taking the phrase “riding the bomb” to a whole new level.
While traversing space, the Commandos are captured by the evil alien genius Brainiac and imprisoned on his ship along with his other cosmic collectibles. They are freed years later and team up with Superman to battle the two villains who accidentally freed them. It’s an odd crossover setup, but this little piece of comic book canon could help connect the DCU’s Commandos to Superman: Legacy (crossed fingers).
The DCU Team
The team appearing in the HBO Max series will have a very different roster than that seen in the comics. Led by Bride of Frankenstein, the DCU’s Creature Commandos will include Rick Flag Sr., Eric Frankenstein, Dr. Nina Mazursky (a Gill-man/Mermaid hybrid), GI Robot (a militant android), Doctor Phosphorus (a metahuman with flames skin and an enemy of Batman), and Weasel (a mutated weasel).
This list has some household names that have been heard before across the DC Extended Universe. Weasel made a brief appearance in Gunn’s 2021 film The Suicide Squad, and it was revealed that he survived the events of the film after supposedly drowning. However, it’s unclear if the character’s story will be the same after Gunn reboots the DC Universe. Likewise, the public will be able to meet the father of the late Rick Flag Jr., who died fighting Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad.
What the Future Holds for James Gunn’s Creature Commandos
It’s unclear how DC Studios will adapt these bizarre comic book characters into their new cinematic universe, but with James Gunn at the helm, just about anything can happen. The fact that Rick Flag Sr. will be a member of the Commandos implies that the series will be a period piece that follows him and his team as they fight through World War II at the Captain America: The First Avenger. On the other hand, the story could show the commandos fighting in the modern age after being imprisoned in space for so long, also like Captain America. The Commandos could even connect to the series focusing on Task Force X leader Amanda Waller, giving their similarities to the Suicide Squad.
In all, Commandos Creatures it looks like it will be another weird and wild superhero project for the ages. It’s unclear when the show will premiere at this point, but since Superman: Legacy is supposed to premiere the DCU in July 2025, audiences should expect to see it sometime after. And with Gunn writing all seven episodes of the series, it looks like this animated show will be another surprise hit for DC and Warner Bros. Discovery.
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