Creature Commandos: A bloody, promising start to James Gunn’s DCU

Creature Commandos isn’t what you’d expect to launch the DCU; it’s gory, sexy (and sex-filled), profane, and – if it wasn’t clear already – not for kids. In other words, it’s a James Gunn special.

In short, Gunn is a visionary; who else could transform Marvel Z-listers like the Guardians of the Galaxy into one of the most beloved superhero groups of the 21st century, create the best trilogy in the MCU, and jump ship to restore faith in its rival after the higgledy-piggledy tenure of the DCEU?

The new big-screen era of DC will truly begin with Superman, Gunn’s already-divisive reboot with a new Man of Steel. How anyone could doubt him after 2021’s The Suicide Squad, a beautifully unhinged, vastly superior film to its notorious predecessor, is beyond me.

However, he’s prepared an animated aperitif to whet our appetites, flavored with the splattering, lewd fun of his Troma days and reliable poignancy: Creature Commandos.

What is Creature Commandos about?

In the wake of “Project Starfish” in Corto Maltese, the US government has shut down Task Force X. So, Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) uses a loophole to start a team of non-human prisoners, led by Rick Flag Sr (Frank Grillo): the Bride (Indira Varma, also the estranged wife of David Harbour’s Eric Frankenstein), Doctor Phosphorus (Alan Tudyk), G.I. Robot (Sean Gunn), Weasel (also Sean Gunn), and Nina Mazursky (Zoë Chao).

With her monstrous team assembled, she gives them a simple mission: protect Princess Ilana Rostovic (Maria Bakalova) from Circe (Anya Chalotra), a rogue Amazonian from Themyscira. However, the line of allegiance becomes blurred, and the fate of the entire world may be at risk.

If it returns for Season 2, Creature Commandos would be better suited to a villain-of-the-week format. The overarching story here is fine, but it’s mainly a vehicle to explore the murky morality of the titular team; ultimately, they will always be more interesting than the mission, and that’s okay.

Across each of the seven episodes, Gunn dives into the pasts (and the origins) of the show’s unlikely heroes. Each one is genuinely shocking, surprisingly emotional, and often breathtakingly grim; Weasel’s backstory nearly had me in tears, and Dr Phosphorus’ creation is similar to Dr Manhattan’s story in Watchmen. Also, if you’re a Band of Brothers fan, you’ll love G.I. Robot’s story.

Creature Commandos is hilarious (and pretty edgy)

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Gunn is a dab hand at grin-inducing dialogue, and Creature Commandos is no exception. Mileage varies between the team; The Bride is likable, but bar a couple of lines – “Can it, Ghost Rider!” really made me laugh – she’s too bluntly characterized.

I got in early with Frank Grillo stock (Warrior!), and it deserves to go to the moon after this – he is fantastic; grizzled but personable, and a definite echo of Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag Jr. Harbour’s Frankenstein is the easy standout, often monologuing to himself so floridly and naturally you’d think his actor was just riffing in the booth; “Our screwball romantic comedy will become pornography, but the tender, soft, focused kind made for chicks,” he muses to himself.

It is consistently funny (I never expected to hear, “Wasssssup!” in 2024, but I’m glad I did) – and unexpectedly raunchy. That’s not necessarily a problem – the sex is always intrinsic to the plot, either amusingly gratuitous or startling – but it can feel a little try-hard. Gunn doesn’t soften any of the show’s edges (nor would anyone who saw Super expect him to), and it’s mostly to the show’s advantage; it’s reminiscent of something from 2000s, joyously (and, only briefly, off-puttingly) lawless.

Creature Commandos will fill the Invincible void

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Creature Commandos is clearly designed for the same audience that enjoys Invincible, with “hyperbolically violent” action (some of the team’s kills are jaw-dropping; faces are crumpled, limbs are turned into shish kebabs, and bullets rip bodies apart) and similarly sketched animation (the eyes are especially well-drawn).

Best of all, it’s surprisingly affecting. Gunn has a remarkable ability to imbue bizarro characters with irresistible heart; Weasel should be ghastly (and he is), but he’s a monster you can’t help but love by the end – a sentiment that goes for everyone on the team. Unsurprisingly, it also has a banging soundtrack.

However, just a quick warning: if you’re expecting much in the way of interconnection with the impending DCU, you’ll be disappointed (no, David Corenswet’s Superman doesn’t appear). But it does have references to the wider world, with a couple that’ll put a big smile on your face – even if “the internet says otherwise.”

Dexerto review score: 4/5 – Very good

It may take a couple of episodes to adjust to its breathless, punchy rhythm, but Creature Commandos is a bloody, joyous, and dark distillation of James Gunn’s talents – and more proof of why you should never bet against him. The DCU is in safe hands; the dawn of a new empire is upon us.

Creature Commandos premieres with its first two episodes on Max on December 5, 2024. In the meantime, check out our breakdown of every DCU project in development, what’s happening with The Batman 2, and our list of the best TV shows of 2024.

For more information on how we score TV shows and movies, check out our scoring guidelines here.