Creature Commandos is set to kick off James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC Universe with an animated series that includes some of DC’s strangest characters. Gunn revealed in January 2023 that he had begun writing a new TV series for his revamped DCU, confirmed to be Creature Commandos on January 31, 2023, when Gunn revealed part of the slate for the DC Universe’s Chapter 1, titled “Gods and Monsters”. The seven-episode series will mark the first project in the new DCU, and is currently scheduled for release in 2024, with the new DC Universe’s first feature film, Superman: Legacy, releasing the year after.
Based on the DC Comics team of the same name, Creature Commandos will adapt several characters from the comics, taking inspiration from the New 52 era, that haven’t been seen or mentioned in previous live-action projects. Creature Commandos won’t be live-action either, but Gunn confirmed that the new DC Universe would share continuity between feature films, TV shows, and animated series’, so there’s an opportunity for these obscure characters to crossover into live-action in the future. The team shares similarities with DC’s Suicide Squad, as a group of monsters will be brought together to form a special black ops unit, also under the watchful eye of Amanda Waller herself.
Viola Davis as Amanda Waller
Viola Davis is one of the few actors that James Gunn confirmed would continue to have a role in the DC Universe’s future, following the reset of the franchise after 2023’s The Flash. Davis debuted as Amanda Waller in David Ayers’ Suicide Squad, and reprised the role for Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, Black Adam, and the HBO Max series Peacemaker. As well as appearing in animation as the founder of the Creature Commandos, Davis is also set to receive her own solo series, Waller, which will continue the storyline of Peacemaker season 1, and is also scheduled for release in 2024.
Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr.
In April 2023, Frank Grillo revealed that he would be leaving Marvel Studios for a role in the new DC Universe, stating how he felt as though Marvel had wasted his character of Brock Rumlow, a.k.a. Crossbones, after having appeared in only three MCU projects. Grillo was revealed to be voicing Rick Flag Sr. in Creature Commandos, the father to Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag from The Suicide Squad, and a member of the original Suicide Squad in DC Comics. He is set to headline the series as the leader of the team, though not much is known about the details for the series’ storyline.
Indira Varma as Bride of Frankenstein
British actor Indira Varma was revealed to be voicing the Bride of Frankenstein in Creature Commandos, adapted from the Bride in DC Comics, a prominent member of the team. In the comics, the Bride works for the counter-terrorism organization SHADE, and had a tumultuous relationship with Frankenstein himself. Varma is perhaps best known for her role of Ellaria Sands in HBO’s Game of Thrones, but has also been featured in projects such as Carnival Row, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the upcoming Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.
Zoë Chao as Nina Mazursky
Mermaid scientist Nina Mazursky will be voiced by Zoë Chao in DC’s Creature Commandos. Mazursky transformed herself into an amphibian while carrying out experiments for SHADE, attempting to create a new generation of Creature Commandos. While she couldn’t initially breathe on land without the use of her helmet, she was eventually given the ability to survive without it both in and out of the water. Zoë Chao, best known for her roles as Zoë Zhu in The Afterparty, Isobel in Strangers, and Lucy Dang in Party Down, is set to voice Nina Mazursky in the DC Universe.
David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein
After killing his creators in DC Comics, Frankenstein ran away and joined SHADE, eventually becoming a member of the Creature Commandos, and even acting as the team’s leader for a time. Named Eric for Creature Commandos, Frankenstein will be voiced by David Harbour, who will also be making the jump from Marvel Studios where he plays Black Widow’s father-figure Alexei Shostakov, a.k.a. the Red Guardian. However, it seems he’ll split his time between the MCU and DCU, unlike Grillo, as Harbour will appear as Red Guardian in 2024’s Thunderbolts, as well as voicing Eric Frankenstein in 2024’s Creature Commandos.
Alan Tudyk as Doctor Phosphorus
Creature Commandos won’t be Alan Tudyk’s first dive into the world of DC, as he has previously portrayed Eric Morden, a.k.a. Mr. Nobody, in Doom Patrol, and voiced the Joker and Clayface in the animated Harley Quinn series for HBO Max. In Creature Commandos, however, Tudyk will be taking on the role of Doctor Phosphorus, a Batman villain who gained his powers after being exposed to high levels of nuclear radiation. Tudyk’s previous works include 28 Days, I, Robot, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and Firefly, among many others, so he is a brilliant addition to the cast of Creature Commandos.
Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana Rostovic
Princess Ilana Rostovic is an original character created for DC’s Creature Commandos, and one who was also missing from the Creature Commandos concept art that was released in conjunction with James Gunn’s January 2023 announcement. Her omission from the artwork suggests she may not be a part of the actual team, and perhaps has a smaller role in the series, but Maria Bakalova’s casting in the role suggests she has fallen into quick favor with Gunn. Bakalova has previously worked with Gunn in the MCU’s The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, in which she voices newcomer Cosmo the Spacedog.
Sean Gunn as G.I. Robot & Weasel
Wherever James Gunn goes, it’s a safe bet to assume his brother, Sean Gunn, won’t be too far behind. Sean Gunn has worked with his brother in a variety of projects, including portraying Kraglin in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, and performing as both Calendar Man and Weasel in The Suicide Squad, the latter of which he will reprise for Creature Commandos. The upcoming series will see Gunn perform another dual role, as he will also voice G.I. Robot, one of a series of robotic soldiers created to fight during World War II, who eventually went on to become a member of the Creature Commandos in DC Comics.
Steve Agee as John Economos
Though it was initially suspected that Creature Commandos would be set in the past, Steve Agee’s return as John Economos confirms that the series will in fact be set in the present day of the DC Universe. Agee debuted as Economos in The Suicide Squad, before reprising the role for Peacemaker and Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ post-credits scene. His casting in Creature Commandos confirms that this version of the team will be working for ARGUS and Amanda Waller, as well as practically confirming that some aspects of the previous DCEU will remain in place following The Flash’s DC Universe reset.
Key Release Dates
