In the early days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the projects announced for Phase One were hardly considered slam dunks. You’ve heard all of this before, but it bears repeating. Iron Man wasn’t a household name, and Robert Downey Jr. was considered damaged goods… to the point that Jon Favreau had to fight to cast him as Tony Stark. Thor and Captain America were considered risky films, digging into fantasy and period-action at a time when Marvel needed guaranteed hits. And no one knew who the Guardians of the Galaxy even were – forget about the fact that they’d be led by the chubby comedian from the NBC sitcom Parks and Rec.
Obviously, Guardians of the Galaxy succeeded as a team and a franchise, and remains one of the best Phase One movies in the MCU. The secret ingredient? Writer-director James Gunn, who joined Marvel Studios after cutting his teeth on exaggerated genre storytelling with 2010’s Super and 2006’s Slither (two awesome films that absolutely are worth your time).
Even back in the first Guardians movie, you could tell that Gunn understood characters, and had a gift for casting. By injecting heart, pathos, and humor into his material, he helped audiences to relate to a volatile, damaged raccoon, an orphaned derelict Earthling, and a tree who only speaks the same three words: “I am Groot.”
Gunn refined his skill for rich character development and world building over the rest of the Guardians movies, a musical Christmas special, two Avengers team ups (to which he contributed), and his first DC feature, The Suicide Squad. And it’s Gunn’s ear for attitude-soaked dialogue, his understanding of recognizable human pain, and his phenomenal casting instincts that now elevate the animated Creature Commandos, the first step into the anticipated DCU that arrives on Max on December 5.
Creature Commandos has an eclectic, unforgettable roster
Think back to the time before James Gunn’s 2014 Guardians of the Galaxy. No one knew Groot, Drax, Rocket, Nebula, Gamora, or Star-Lord. But their strengths, weaknesses, highlights, and flaws helped them to form a loveable team. The same happens almost instantly with Creature Commandos, which will drop Episodes 1 and 2 right out of the gate on December 5.
On the surface, Creature Commandos mirrors Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) has a problem, so she recruits a leader (Frank Grillo’s Rick Flag Sr.) and an ensemble of misfits to head behind enemy lines and clean up a possible mess. Only this time, thanks to the disaster that was Project Starfish, Waller is forbidden from using Belle Reve prisoners for her military missions.
So, she uses monsters.
CinemaBlend sat down with Frank Grillo ahead of Creature Commandos dropping on Max, and when we asked what his initial reaction to the show and to the material was, he instantly praised Gunn’s writing as the clear standout. Grillo, who eventually will also play Rick Flag Sr. in next summer’s live-action Superman movie, told us:
It's script, script, script. When I tell you, you say every one of his words, and they work better than anything you think you can say. Script, script, script. It's actor proof.
Creature Commandos started as a DC comic in 1980, originated by J.M. DeMatteis and Pat Broderick, and set during World War II. Eventually, the team was modernized in 2000, but there isn’t a hard and fast roster to which Gunn is married. This allows him to get creative with the choices of who he wanted under Rick Flag Sr. – and boy does he think outside of the box. We get the return of Weasel (voiced by Sean Gunn), as well as the introduction of The Bride (Indira Varma), Dr. Phosphorus (Alan Tudyk), Nina Mazursky (Zoe Chao), and G.I. Robot (also Gunn). It’s a motley crew you can’t help but embrace.
Creature Commandos is super bingeable, and rewards a repeat viewing
I’m really glad that DC decided to drop two episodes of Creature Commandos on December 5, because it takes until the end of the second episode for the full story to kick into gear. Episode 1 is a table setter, where we meet Rick Flag Sr., his new team, and embark on the mission. By the end of Episode 2, though, you start to get the sense of the way that Creature Commandos will handle backstories for each member of the team. And from that point on, you are simply holding on for dear life as the wild ride hits higher gears.
Even Zoe Chao, who voices Nina Mazursky in the show, ripped through the scripts once she received him. During an exclusive interview with CinemaBlend, the actress told us:
We got the seven scripts, and I tore through them. Which I wish I could say was what often happens, but it's not. And then I reread it again, because it was so fun. I mean, the world is so robust and full. There are music cues written in, so you get to play the music while you're reading it. The humor, the action, the interpersonal relationships, the origin stories, how distinct each character is, his knowledge of the world, and his steady hand guiding throughout the whole thing. As a reader, or an audience member, you can just relax and be like, ‘I'm about to go on a great ride, and I will be looked after.’ And that's how I felt as an actor, too, inside of this piece.
I have to echo Chao’s sentiments. I have been lucky enough to see the entire season of Creature Commandos. And as soon as it ended, I went right back to the beginning, and started it over. Then? I did it a third time. And it only got better each time.
Creature Commandos is hilarious and heartfelt
When you give James Gunn enough time, he’s going to dig beneath the surface of his characters and surprise us with unexpected depth. Think about how different our perception of Peacemaker (John Cena) is from the moment we met him at the start of The Suicide Squad, to the place where he’s rescuing Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), saving the world from Project Butterfly, and telling off the members of The Justice League. It’s a complete reinvention of the character. It makes him more identifiable, more flawed, more human, and therefore more accessible. It also gives Cena plenty to work with.
This, to me, is very encouraging for the upcoming DCU projects, because most of what Gunn has done in the past – including this season of Creature Commandos – is rooted heavily in character. You will learn so much more about each of the Creature Commandos in subsequent episodes. And they will surprise you. Especially my favorite member of the ensemble: Frankenstein, as played by David Harbour.
Harbour has plenty of experience playing heroes and monsters. The MCU, he is Natasha Romanoff’s adopted father, Red Guardian. He also played Hellboy in a movie that didn’t take off. But I truly believe he is doing his best work as the lovelorn Frankenstein monster, who can’t comprehend why his Bride (Indira Varma) has rejected him.
Grillo, whose character has several scenes with Frankenstein, raved to CinemaBlend:
I was in awe. I did some voice work with David Harbor. … And I have to tell you, I was just blown away by the talent. I mean, Harbor had me on the floor in the booth. I literally had to stop recording. On the floor. I felt like I didn't know what I was doing when he came in. I was like, ‘Oh my God, this guy is amazing!’ And I've worked with him before. And then he kind of broke my heart. And the same with Maria (Bakalova). I mean, just, the level of talent that (Gunn) has assembled is extraordinary.
I am obsessed with Creature Commandos. It is my favorite Gunn work in the comic book field, ahead of all three Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and his foray into The Suicide Squad. If this is the level of quality that Gunn plans on bringing to all upcoming DC projects, I’m completely on board with this reinvention of the DCU, and the arrival of Superman, Supergirl, the Teen Titans, the Authority, the Lanterns, and beyond.
