Creature Commandos (TV series)
Creature Commandos | |
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![]() Official logo | |
Genre | |
Created by | James Gunn |
Based on | Characters from DC |
Showrunner | James Gunn |
Written by | James Gunn |
Starring | |
Music by | |
Opening theme | "Moliendo Café" by Hugo Blanco |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producers |
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Production companies | |
Original release | |
Network | Max |
Related | |
DCU TV series |
Creature Commandos is an upcoming American adult animated television series based on DC Comics featuring the eponymous team. Produced by DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation, it will be the first television series in the DC Universe (DCU) and the first installment overall. It focuses on a black ops team of monsters assembled by Amanda Waller. All seven episodes were written by James Gunn, who serves as showrunner, while Yves "Balak" Bigerel serves as supervising director.
Steve Agee, Maria Bakalova, Anya Chalotra, Zoë Chao, Frank Grillo, Sean Gunn, David Harbour, Alan Tudyk, Indira Varma, and Viola Davis star in the series. After Gunn and Peter Safran became co-CEOs of DC Studios in October 2022, Gunn began writing a new DCU television series that was revealed to be Creature Commandos in January 2023. Production on the series had begun by then and casting was underway. The cast was announced that April. Animation for the series is provided by Bobbypills.
Creature Commandos is scheduled to debut on the streaming service Max in December 2024. It will be part of the DCU's Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.
Premise
[edit]Following the events of the first season of Peacemaker (2022), Amanda Waller is no longer able to put human lives in jeopardy for her clandestine operations as she did with the Suicide Squad and Team Peacemaker. Instead, she assembles a black ops team of monsters called the Creature Commandos.[1][2]
Cast and characters
[edit]- Steve Agee as John Economos: An A.R.G.U.S. agent who is an aide to Amanda Waller[3]
- Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana Rostovic[3]
- Anya Chalotra as Circe[4][5]
- Zoë Chao as Nina Mazursky: A member of the Creature Commandos and an amphibious scientist[3][6]
- Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr.: Leader of the Creature Commandos.[7] Grillo said Flag was competent and had more gravitas than his son, Suicide Squad leader Rick Flag Jr.[7][8]
- Sean Gunn as
- G.I. Robot: A member of the Creature Commandos and a military android whose purpose is to kill Nazis.[3][6][9] Early designs for the character were similar to a trash can and robots from 1950s science fiction, before the "friendlier, wide-eyed" final design was settled on.[10]
- Weasel: A member of the Creature Commandos and the Suicide Squad,[3][11] who was compared to the Tasmanian Devil from Looney Tunes.[12] Gunn said Weasel's backstory would be explored in the series.[9]
- David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein:
A member of the Creature Commandos and the Bride's love interest,[3][6] who Harbour described as "very colorful".[13] The animators gave the character more complex emotions and a softer silhouette to better reflect Harbour's performance.[10] - Alan Tudyk as Doctor Phosphorus:
A member of the Creature Commandos who is permanently radioactive.[3][6] The animators considered morphing his skeleton to show expressions, before deciding that his lack of expressions suited the character.[14] They incorporated the Kirby Krackle effect into the character's flaming skin.[10] - Indira Varma as the Bride:
A member of the Creature Commandos.[3][15] This version has two arms, instead of four as depicted in the comics, to simplify her depiction for both animation and live-action.[12][14] - Viola Davis as Amanda Waller: The leader of A.R.G.U.S. who assembles the Creature Commandos[1]
Episodes
[edit]No. | Title | Directed by | Written by [1] | Original release date |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | TBA | TBD | James Gunn | December 2024[16] |
James Gunn wrote all seven episodes of the series.[1]
Production
[edit]Background
[edit]James Gunn was hired in October 2018 to write and direct The Suicide Squad (2021),[17][18] a standalone sequel to the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film Suicide Squad (2016) which retained some cast members but otherwise told its own story.[19] He worked with producer Peter Safran, who also produced the DCEU films Aquaman (2018) and Shazam! (2019).[20] They later expanded The Suicide Squad into a spin-off television series, Peacemaker (2022–present), for the streaming service HBO Max.[21] Discovery, Inc. and Warner Bros.' parent company WarnerMedia merged in April 2022 to become Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), led by president and CEO David Zaslav. The new company was expected to restructure DC Entertainment and Zaslav began searching for an equivalent to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige to lead the new subsidiary.[22] Gunn and Safran were announced as the co-chairs and co-CEOs of the newly formed DC Studios at the end of October 2022.[23] A week after starting their new roles, the pair had begun developing an eight-to-ten-year plan for a new DC Universe (DCU) that would be a "soft reboot" of the DCEU.[24][25][26] Gunn and Safran said some cast members would return from The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker in the DCU, and a "rough memory" of the events of those projects would remain.[27]
Development
[edit]Gunn revealed that he was in the middle of writing a new DCU television series in January 2023.[28] On January 31, Gunn and Safran unveiled the first projects from their DCU slate, which begins with Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. The first project in the slate was Creature Commandos, an animated series for HBO Max's successor, Max, based on a black ops team of the same name featuring various monsters from DC Comics. Gunn had already written the seven episodes and production had begun. It was expected to be released as an "aperitif" for the DCU before the film Superman (2025),[1][11] with some characters from the series appearing in that film.[14] Gunn felt the series was integral to their vision for the DCU, establishing the fact that characters would be treated consistently across different mediums moving forward.[2] Warner Bros. Animation co-produces the series.[29] Executive producers of the series include DC Studios' Gunn and Safran, Warner Bros. Animation's Sam Register, and Dean Lorey,[30] with Yves "Balak" Bigerel as supervising director and Warner Bros. Animation's Rick Morales as producer.[14][10]
Writing
[edit]Created for Weird War Tales #93 (1980) by J. M. DeMatteis and Pat Broderick, the Creature Commandos were originally a team of monsters fighting Nazis during World War II.[11][31] The series depicts a modern version of the team being assembled by Amanda Waller following the first season of Peacemaker.[2] The team is also referred to as Task Force M, with the 'M' standing for monster.[15] It includes Rick Flag Sr., Nina Mazursky, Doctor Phosphorus, Eric Frankenstein, the Bride, G.I. Robot, and Weasel.[1][15] Gunn said the Bride was the lead character.[1] Waller, Weasel, and Flag's son Rick Flag Jr. previously appeared in The Suicide Squad.[11]
In his pitch for the series, Gunn described it as dark, "humorous but never goofy", and unsentimental, with adult and political themes.[12] He was influenced by the Universal Classic Monsters, manga series Golgo 13, and 1960s war films.[10] Grillo said the series was "hard R" with a "funny and filthy" tone.[8] Morales described it as a "macabre spin" on action ensembles such as the film The Dirty Dozen (1967) and the series The A-Team (1983–1987).[10]
Casting and voice recording
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3e/Creature_Commandos_%28TV_series%29_character_designs.jpg/220px-Creature_Commandos_%28TV_series%29_character_designs.jpg)
Gunn and Safran said Viola Davis would reprise her role as Amanda Waller from The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker in the DCU,[27] and she was confirmed to be voicing the character in Creature Commandos with the series' announcement. Further casting was underway by then, with Gunn and Safran intending to hire actors who could voice the characters in the series and also portray them in live-action DCU projects;[1] actors performed on-camera auditions instead of voice-over ones as is common for animation.[32] Casting was almost complete by late February 2023.[33] The cast was announced in April, with Frank Grillo as Flag;[7] Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana Rostovic, an original character created for the series;[3][34] Zoë Chao as Mazursky; Alan Tudyk as Doctor Phosphorus; David Harbour as Frankenstein; Indira Varma as the Bride; Sean Gunn as G.I. Robot in addition to returning as Weasel from The Suicide Squad; and Steve Agee reprising his role as John Economos from The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker.[3][6][15] James Gunn said Harbour was his first choice for Frankenstein,[35] and some of the actors, including Grillo, were already planned for live-action appearances.[34] Voice recording began by May 2023,[9][36] and was completed by that August.[37] In November 2023, Anya Chalotra was reported to have been cast as Circe,[4] which Gunn confirmed in January 2024.[5] Gunn served as the voice director for the main actors.[38]
Animation
[edit]Production was underway by the end of January 2023. Gunn said animation was a way to "tell stories that are gigantic" without a large budget.[11] Animation studio Bobbypills worked on the series.[14] By February 2024, the initial animatics had been finished and picture locked. Gunn said "elaborate animated finals" were being worked on.[39] The series adheres to Gunn's mandate for a cohesive look for the DC Universe, so characters and locations can move between mediums and be familiar to audiences. The designers initially redesigned Belle Reve prison to be a "beautiful gothic locale on top of a hill", but Gunn told them that it had to match the "dull, boring building" design seen in The Suicide Squad. New locations, such as Frankenstein's mansion, feature designs closer to the original Belle Reve look.[14]
Music
[edit]In August 2024, Gunn revealed that Kevin Kiner and Clint Mansell were composing the score for the series. The pair previously scored the first season of Peacemaker.[40][41] Creature Commandos' theme song is "Moliendo Café" from Venezuelan artist Hugo Blanco.[14] When developing the series, Gunn created a "musical mood-board" inspired by the works of Gogol Bordello and the Dresden Dolls.[12]
Marketing
[edit]A making-of session and presentation for the series with Balak and Morales took place at the 2024 Annecy International Animation Film Festival.[10] Gunn was unable to attend due to his filming schedule for Superman, but he introduced the presentation via a video message.[2] Two storyboard sequences were shown along with character and location designs.[12][10] Rafael Motamayor of /Film and Kambole Campbell of Animation Magazine both criticized Gunn's video message as boring and too focused on corporate strategy. They were more positive about the rest of the presentation and the footage that was shown, but expressed concern that the needs of the wider DCU were being put ahead of what was best for the series; Motamayor said the change from the new Belle Reve design to one more similar to The Suicide Squad was met with "palpable disappointment" during the presentation. They both praised other design elements. Campbell hoped the creative intentions of Balak and Bobbypills would come through in the final series with more prominence than the needs of corporate synergy.[14][10] The first trailer was released during a panel for the series at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2024.[42]
Release
[edit]Creature Commandos is scheduled to premiere in December 2024,[16] on the streaming service Max.[9] It will be part of the DCU's Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h Massoto, Erick (January 31, 2023). "Creature Commandos: Meet the Cast of the New DC Animated Series". Collider. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Gajewski, Ryan (June 14, 2024). "James Gunn Shares Vision for His First DC Studios Project 'Creature Commandos' at Annecy". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 14, 2024. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Oddo, Marco Vito (April 12, 2023). "Here's the Full Cast of DC's Creatures Commandos [Exclusive]". Collider. Archived from the original on April 13, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ a b Behbakht, Andy (November 3, 2023). "The DCU's First God-Tier Wonder Woman Villain Seemingly Confirmed By Actor CV". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on November 3, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
- ^ a b Behbakht, Andy (January 14, 2024). "James Gunn Confirms Major Wonder Woman Villain Casting For First DC Universe Project". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Vary, Adam B. (April 12, 2023). "DC's Creature Commandos Unveils Voice Cast: David Harbour, Indira Varma, Alan Tudyk and More". Variety. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ a b c Gonzalez, Umberto (April 12, 2023). "Frank Grillo to Play the DCU's Rick Flag in Creature Commandos (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ a b Hermanns, Grant (February 12, 2024). "Frank Grillo Talks Lights Out, His Close Friendship With Mekhi Phifer & DCU Future". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Weiss, Josh (May 11, 2023). "Sean Gunn Talks 'Tough' Heartache Of Guardians Vol. 3 & Exploring Weasel's Backstory In Creature Commandos". Forbes. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Campbell, Kambole (June 17, 2024). "'Rohirrim,' 'Gumball' and 'Creature Commandos': A Closer Look at Warner Bros.' Upcoming Slate". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on June 17, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Vary, Adam B. (January 31, 2023). "New DC Universe Unveils First 10 Projects: Superman: Legacy in 2025, Batman & Robin Movie, Green Lantern Series, Wonder Woman Prequel and More". Variety. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Croll, Ben (June 14, 2024). "DC's 'Creature Commandos,' Previewed in Annecy, Echoes James Gunn's Unmistakable Voice". Variety. Archived from the original on June 14, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
- ^ O'Rourke, Ryan (August 8, 2023). "David Harbour on His 'Wildly Funny' Creature Commandos Role [Exclusive]". Collider. Archived from the original on August 9, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Motamayor, Rafael (June 15, 2024). "Creature Commandos Preview Shows Some Downsides To James Gunn's DC Universe [Annecy]". /Film. Archived from the original on June 17, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Whitbrook, James (July 26, 2024). "The First Trailer For DC's Creature Commandos Recruits a Very Weird Team". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on July 31, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
- ^ a b Rangel, Felipe (June 12, 2024). "First DC Universe Release Confirmed To Premiere This December". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on June 12, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (October 9, 2018). "James Gunn Boards Suicide Squad 2 To Write And Possibly Direct". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 9, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
- ^ Couch, Aaron; McClintock, Pamela (January 30, 2019). "The Batman, The Suicide Squad Set 2021 Release Dates". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 31, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
- ^ Davis, Brandon (July 6, 2021). "The Suicide Squad Producer Rules Out Connections To Previous Film". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on July 6, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
- ^ Mancuso, Vinnie (July 6, 2021). "The Suicide Squad Producer Explains How the Film Connects to Suicide Squad: 'We Don't Address It'". Collider. Archived from the original on July 6, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
- ^ White, Peter (September 23, 2020). "The Suicide Squad TV Spinoff Peacemaker Starring John Cena From James Gunn Ordered By HBO Max". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
- ^ Lang, Brent; Donnelly, Matt (April 14, 2022). "Warner Bros. Discovery Exploring Overhaul of DC Entertainment (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on April 14, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- ^ Kit, Borys; Couch, Aaron (October 25, 2022). "DC Shocker: James Gunn, Peter Safran to Lead Film, TV and Animation Division (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
- ^ Couch, Aaron (November 10, 2022). "James Gunn, Peter Safran Are Mapping Out 'Eight- to 10-Year Plan' for DC". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
- ^ Outlaw, Kofi (October 25, 2022). "Warner Bros. Confirms 'DC Universe' As Official Name of DCEU". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ Newby, Richard (February 3, 2023). "6 Burning Questions About DC Studios' New Slate". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ a b Lussier, Germain (January 31, 2023). "James Gunn DC Slate Q&A: Flash, Aquaman, Crossover, More". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
- ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (January 6, 2023). "James Gunn Teases an 'Unannounced DC TV Show' He Is Busy Writing". TVLine. Archived from the original on January 6, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- ^ Bonomolo, Cameron (January 31, 2023). "DC Studios Actors to Play Animated and Live-Action Roles in New DC Universe". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
- ^ Meenan, Devin (October 28, 2023). "Creature Commandos – Release Window, Cast, Writer And More Info". /Film. Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 31, 2023). "James Gunn & Peter Safran Unveil Big DC Plan With New Movies For Batman & Robin, Swamp Thing, The Authority; Lanterns TV Series & More". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ Gunn, James [@JamesGunn] (April 12, 2023). "On camera auditions" (Tweet). Archived from the original on April 13, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023 – via Twitter.
- ^ Dominguez, Noah (February 24, 2023). "DCU's Creature Commandos Gets a Major Casting Update". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
- ^ a b Graves, Sabina (April 12, 2023). "Welcome James Gunn's Creature Commandos Cast to DC Studios". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on April 13, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ Barnhardt, Adam (March 6, 2023). "James Gunn Debunks Major Henry Cavill Rumor for DC Return". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
- ^ Crowley, Liam (May 11, 2023). "Sean Gunn Reveals DC's Creature Commandos Has Begun Production (Exclusive)". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ Brail, Nathaniel (August 5, 2023). "James Gunn Confirms How Many Episodes DC's Creature Commandos Will Be". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on August 6, 2023. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ Rangel, Felipe (January 18, 2024). "James Gunn Reveals Bigger Role In Upcoming DCU Release". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
- ^ Anderson, Jenna (February 17, 2024). "Creature Commandos: James Gunn Gives New Update on DC Animated Series". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on February 17, 2024. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ Blevins, Adam (August 2, 2024). "'Creature Commandos' Just Got a Nuclear Update from James Gunn". Collider. Archived from the original on August 3, 2024. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
- ^ "Clint Mansell & Kevin Kiner Scoring Max's 'Creature Commandos'". Film Music Reporter. August 5, 2024. Archived from the original on August 5, 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
- ^ Kuznikov, Selena (July 26, 2024). "'Creature Commandos' Trailer: James Gunn's DC Universe Launches With Animated Monster Team-Up Show, December Release Set". Variety. Archived from the original on July 27, 2024. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
External links
[edit]- 2020s American animated television series
- 2020s American television series
- American action television series
- American adult animated action television series
- American adult animated superhero television series
- American English-language television shows
- American superhero television series
- Animated action television series
- Animated television series about monsters
- Animated television shows based on DC Comics
- DC Universe (franchise)
- Fiction about government
- Max (streaming service) original programming
- Television series by Warner Bros. Animation
- Television series created by James Gunn
- Television shows based on DC Comics
- Upcoming animated television series
- Upcoming American television series