Prepare yourself for a TV show-heavy start to December, everyone, because Creature Commandos, the first project in James Gunn’s revived DC Cinematic Universe (DCU), has just added itself into the equation.
That’s right, the adult animated series, which officially kicks off DCU Chapter One seven months before 2025’s Superman movie flies into theaters, finally has a release date. It’ll launch on Max, Warner Bros. Discovery’s (WBD) super streamer replacement for HBO Max, on Thursday, December 5, but there’s no word on when or where it’ll make its debut in the UK or Australia yet.
Creature Commandos‘ launch date comes by way of a Max press release, which also confirmed it’ll arrive with a one-episode premiere on release day. New entries will air weekly on one of the world’s best streaming services until its finale on January 16, 2025.
For the uninitiated, Creature Commandos is essentially a monster-based take on The Suicide Squad, DC Comics’ famous superpowered anti-hero team that was turned into a live-action movie by Gunn in mid-2021. For what it’s worth, our reviewer called The Suicide Squad an “unashamedly ridiculous antihero adventure, which is as unexpected as it is hilarious”.
But I digress. The R-rated animated project will see Frank Grillo voice Rick Flag Sr, the father of The Suicide Squad‘s Rick Flag Jr (shocking, I know), who’s installed as the covert task force’s field leader by the morally complicated intelligence officer known as Amanda Waller, who Viola Davis returns to voice in this series. Per Waller’s instructions, Flag’s Sr is charged with keeping the team incarcerated monsters in check while they carry out undercover missions for the US government that are deemed too dangerous for ordinary humans.
Joining Grillo and Waller on the voice cast roster are Steve Agee (Peacemaker) as John Economos, Maria Bakalova (Guardians of the Galaxy 3) as Princess Ilana, Anya Chalotra (The Witcher) as Circe, Zoe Chao (The Afterparty) as Nina Mazursky, Sean Gunn (Guardians 3, The Suicide Squad) as GI Robot and Weasel, David Harbour (Stranger Things) as Frankenstein, Alan Tudyk (Wish) as Dr. Phosphorus, and Indira Varma (Game of Thrones) as The Bride. James Gunn penned all seven of this season’s scripts and also executively produced the show for Max. Additional executive producers include Peter Safran, Dean Lorey, and Sam Register, while Rick Morales also serves as a supervising producer.
A mighty streaming showdown
As I mentioned, Creature Commandos‘ early December launch means it’s going to be a busy time for TV aficionados, especially in the US. Indeed, the first test for Gunn and Safran’s rebooted DCU isn’t going to be an easy one to pass, with the comic book-inspired adult show going up against two potentially big Disney Plus series.
Just two days before Creature Commandos makes its Max bow, Lucasfilm will invite viewers to return to its iconic galaxy far, far away with Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. The Jude Law-fronted Star Wars series, which is described as “The Goonies in space”, will certainly give Creature Commandos a run for its money in the lead-up to this year’s holiday season.
It won’t be the only Disney-developed TV show that’ll do so, either. Beloved animation studio Pixar has enjoyed a stellar return to form thanks to the hugely popular Inside Out 2, which has earned over $1 billion globally since its mid-June debut. Buoyed by the money-spinning success of one of 2024’s new movies, Pixar is preparing to release its first-ever TV show called Win or Lose, with the family-friendly series set to be released on Friday, December 6.
Thanks to their more kid-friendly vibes, Skeleton Crew and Win or Lose won’t clash with the more mature Creature Commandos from an age demographic standpoint. But, considering I – and I suspect many other adults – will tune in to all three shows, Creature Commandos will not only have to get off to a great start, but also prove that the DCU can compete with legendary franchises and big-name studios if it hopes to be taken as seriously as Marvel’s cinematic juggernaut. Over to you, James and Peter.
