The Creature Commandos, an animated series written by DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn. Since the DCU's theatrical start isn't until the release of Superman in 2025, Creature Commandos gives audiences the first look at DC's newly rebooted film and TV franchise. The show is based on the DC Comics team of the same name, which is composed of more obscure DC characters. Given Gunn has a habit of adapting strange characters, like Polka-Dot Man, it shouldn't be a surprise that he chose to start the DCU here.

Aside from its strange characters, Creature Commandos is unique in that it's the first attempt to launch a cinematic universe with an animated TV show as opposed to a major movie. Gunn has also mentioned the possibility that characters from the animated Creature Commandos show could pop up in live-action DCU projects. Anyone invested in staying informed about the DCU probably got a lot out of Creature Commandos, as it did a lot of heavy lifting in of world-building for the new universe, giving glimpses of what to expect from the DCU going forward.

Creature Commandos Critical Reception

A Well-Received Start To The DCU

The DCU got off to a fantastic start with Creature Commandos, as the seven-episode series was a hit with viewers and critics alike. The first season of Creature Commandos sits at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, one of the highest scores in both James Gunn's career and the highest DCU or DCEU-rated project of all time, beating out both Wonder Woman and Peacemaker, which both sit at 93%.

It was important for the DCU to get off to a strong start both in of viewership and reception, given the lukewarm attitude towards DC by the general audience over the past decade or so. With Creature Commandos a success, James Gunn and the DCU set their sights on Superman, and if it can achieve the same amount of success as Creature Commandos in of reception, then the DCU will already be in a strong place.

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Creature Commandos Release Date & Where To Stream

The Series Utilized A Weekly Release Schedule

Creature Commandos initially premiered on December 5, 2024, with the first two episodes of the seven-episode season. After that, Creature Commandos used a weekly release strategy, with the final episode premiering on January 9, 2025. Creature Commandos is available to watch on Max, home to most of DC's catalog. As a Max exclusive, the series remained relevant on the streaming platform, consistently staying in the top-10 series in of popularity each week.

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Creature Commandos Cast

James Gunn's Likable Cast Of Monsters

The Creature Commandos cast is a mixture of new and returning actors to the world of DC. Viola Davis, Steve Agee, and Sean Gunn reprise their roles from The Suicide Squad as Amanda Waller, John Economos and Weasel, respectively. Sean Gunn also played the role of G.I. Robot. Alan Tudyk was previously in the DC show Doom Patrol, but played two different characters here, Doctor Phosphorus and Clayface.

The Creature Commandos are led by Rick Flag Sr., played by Frank Grillo. Alongside Grillo is David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein, and Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana Rostovic. Zoë Chao plays the aquatic and sweet Nina Mazursky, while Indira Varma plays arguably the most important role as The Bride. Anya Chalotra as Circe rounds out the most significant cast of Creature Commandos season 1.

The full main cast is as follows:

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Creature Commandos Trailers

Watch The Trailers Here

Throughout the season, Creature Commandos released short teasers for what was next to come in of each individual episode, but prior to those, the show only had a handful of trailers, with the first one being a teaser trailer that was released about five months before it officially premiered, setting the stage for what audiences could expect from the series.

After the teaser trailer, only one more official trailer was released prior to the launch of Creature Commandos, with it showing a bit more in of what to expect from the story and showing more of the personalities of each character in Task Force M. These trailers promised a bloody good time in the way only James Gunn could do it, and given how well received the series ended up becoming, they kept their promises.

Creature Commandos Ending And Spoilers

Princess Ilana Rostovic Was The True Villain

Throughout the entire first season of Creature Commandos, things weren't exactly as they seemed, as the initial job of Task Force M was to protect Princess Ilana Rostovic from getting killed by Circe. Surprisingly, the group was able to stop Circe rather quickly, with her capture being in episode 4.

Things were then flipped on their heads after that, as Circe reveals to Amanda Waller that she was trying to kill the Princess to prevent World War III. This revelation forces Amanda Waller to send Task Force M back to Pokolistan to assassinate the Princess, while Rick Flag Sr. refuses to go along with it, eventually warning the Princess that she is going to be killed.

After Task Force M infiltrates the castle and sends Nina Mazursky to kill the Princess while she is swimming, the Princess ends up killing Nina in the process and Amanda Waller calls off the attack, thinking she was duped by Circe and Clayface. The only one who realizes that the Princess is actually the bad guy is The Bride, who ends up shooting her through the head before the team quickly leaves.

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How Creature Commandos Sets Up The DCU & Season 2

Creature Commandos Is Just The Beginning

While Creature Commandos was originally thought to be just a taste of what was to come from the DCU, it ended up being much more significant in of world-building and introducing audiences to a world already populated with heroes and villains. Circe's nightmare gave glimpses of what heroes can be expected in the DCU, and the universe's first look at Batman, although only his silhouette was shown. Villains like Gorilla Grodd and Clayface play minor roles with a tease of more to come. The DCU is a lived-in world, and Creature Commandos clearly shows that.

With the news that Creature Commandos was renewed for a second season, the show briefly set up what to expect in of a new Task Force M with The Bride leading the way instead of Rick Flag Sr. Perhaps the biggest reveal at the very end was the return of King Shark from The Suicide Squad and G.I. Robot being alive after his "death" in episode 3, complete with a brand-new body.

There are a lot of directions Creature Commandos can take going forward, but with it no longer needing to be the start of the DCU, it can continue to explore sides of the universe that might not be shown in the bigger projects.

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DC Movie Releases

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  Superman

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  Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

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  The Batman Part II

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