Off the Shelf Media

In the fall of 2022, James Gunn was announced as the co-chairman and co-CEO for the new and improved DC Studios, along with fellow Producer Peter Safran. Immediately, I knew that DC was about to receive its much-needed rebuild. And that Marvel Studios had just lost one of its most talented directors to the only viable competitor. 

For the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the move felt like a head coach losing its franchise quarterback in free agency. If you’re not a football fan, that’s usually not a great sign.

At the time, Marvel was already descending into a headfirst freefall in the post-Endgame era, while Gunn was preparing to soar up, up, and away with the Man of Steel. It appeared that only one party was walking away a winner. 

Yet, to the surprise of many, Gunn’s Superman (July 2025) would not be the new immediate face of DC’s latest and greatest cinematic universe. 

Instead, Creature Commandos (2024) was announced and became a soft relaunch for Gunn and Safran’s new DC.  

Though it seemed like an odd decision at first, after binge-watching the series in a single sitting, I would say it was the right one. 

Aside from Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy (2005-2012) and Matt Reeve’s The Batman (2022), which are all undeniably good films, I cannot say I’ve been a fan of DC at any point in my life. As a kid, I enjoyed casually watching Teen Titans (2003-2006) on Cartoon Network, but it never elicited as much dedication from me as Sam Raimi and Toby Maguire’s Spider-Man trilogy (2002-2007), the original X-Men Trilogy(2000-2006), or even the previous Fantastic Four (2005-2007) films. 

Suffice it to say, I was neither overly eager nor familiar with this new, animated, rag-tag team of misfits Gunn was assembling. But, having watched his previous work, I had faith that it would be worth my precious free time in an age when every streaming service is vying for your limited attention. 

A master at work

If you think you’re unfamiliar with James Gunn, you’re probably wrong about that. 

In the MCU, Gunn is the writer and director for the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy (2014-2023) and its holiday special (2022). Arguably, it’s one of the MCU’s most successful trilogies to date and is revered for its engaging characters, light-hearted humor, and toe-tapping soundtracks. 

These aren’t traits I credit to the Guardians themselves; these are staples I expect from any piece of media Gunn puts his name on. 

When Gunn signed on to be the new leader of the DCU, he was no stranger to the heroes on the other side of the road. After Suicide Squad (2016) was poorly received, DC tried again with Gunn at the helm in The Suicide Squad (2021), with much greater success. So much so that Gunn then went on to write and direct Peacemaker (2022-) shortly before being announced as the production company’s new co-CEO. 

While his work is not exclusively that of the superhero genre, it is where he tends to thrive. 

What’s my personal favorite from his filmography? Scooby-Doo (2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), which he’s credited for as a screenplay writer.  

Now, I’m typically not a fan of most directors slapping their names at the front of a title to secure the credit (I’m looking at you, Zack Snyder). But in the case of James Gunn, I feel that he should do it more often. It’s what brought me to Creature Commandos in the first place. 

Monsters, robots, weasels – oh my!

If James Gunn is good at one thing, it’s making his audience care about characters that otherwise have no business becoming fan favorites.

This group of misfits, known as Taskforce M for monster, is comprised of none other than: the living dead’s infamous Bride of Frankenstein (Indira Varma), radioactive skeleton Dr. Phosphorous (Alan Tudyk), the Nazi-killing machine known as G.I. Robot (Sean Gunn), amphibious friend Nina Mazursky (Zoë Chao), and finally, Weasel (Sean Gunn). He’s a weasel. 

In charge of this disgruntled group is Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo), father of the late Rick Flag Jr. (Joel Kinnaman). Presumably, he’s the same Jr. we see perish in Gunn’s prior Suicide Squad film. 

Also in the mix is the one-and-only Eric Frankenstein (David Harbour), forever pining after his undead bride – who vehemently disagrees with that relationship status. 

Aside from Rick Flag, each is an incarcerated villain – some misunderstood, some not. 

Let’s just say I wouldn’t trust this group to water my plants while I’m away on vacation. 

Like many of Gunn’s characters, we see plenty of humor and personality from each taskforce member, made real by a great cast. At times, you watch them grapple with the ethical decisions for the orders they’re being dealt. Even more often, you watch them disagree on how to handle those orders. Ultimately, it creates a team dynamic that is both humorous and heinous. 

Despite their differentiating pasts that led them to this place, most of which is a series of crimes and atrocities to humankind, you find yourself rooting for them along the way (well, some of them, at least).  

The plot and pacing are on point 

Season one features only eight 20-30 minute episodes. It makes for a perfectly bingeable and low-committing watch for those, like myself, who often find it difficult to delve into a new series, especially with an intellectual property that is much less known. 

Without giving too much away, each episode is essentially built around a member of Taskforce M. Switching between the current timeline and flashbacks, the viewer is given the frequently heart-wrenching backstories of each Commando, which often provides context to the actions then taken in the show. 

The mission at hand is one that feels somewhat familiar if you’ve watched the prior Suicide Squad films, though I wouldn’t call the movies an essential watch for enjoying the show. 

U.S. Operative Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) has once again assembled a team of throwaways to take on a dangerous and likely life-threatening mission on behalf of the U.S. government. However, along the way, truths are revealed, mysteries are uncovered, and trust is broken. 

As the team attempts to decipher the truth behind their orders, the viewer is left wondering along with them. Are we falling for a lie, or is the team about to make a grave mistake? You’ll have to tune in to find out. 

While the premise isn’t new, the cast of characters is, and it’s a refreshing take on an overall approach DC has already implemented twice.  

Bringing comic books to life (with a killer soundtrack to boot)

Animation has often been viewed as a childish or unserious medium for media. Not only is this show seriously not for children, but animation lends itself so well to the genre as a whole. 

The overused CGI slop that certain studios present is overdone and undervalued by the companies using it. It’s why the CGI in most recent films looks atrocious. The effects and CGI used in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) should have never been allowed to see the light of day. With a reported production budget of $250 million, Marvel’s President Kevin Feige should have pushed back the release date until he had a product worth selling. 

Studios have been too afraid, or too cheap, to take their time and pay their people the cost required to produce a screen-worthy product. And many of them are now paying the price for it, deservedly so. 

That isn’t to say I don’t understand the necessity for CGI in the superhero genre. It’s often easier and cheaper to CGI a humanoid fish-person than it is to offer practical makeup and effects. But, like most things, you get out what you put into it. 

But we’re talking about animation here, and I think they nailed the look. It felt very reminiscent of older animated DC shows like Teen Titans or Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995). It isn’t anything flashy or groundbreaking, but it has plenty of color and really leans into the fact that animation allows it to do the impossible without necessarily looking impossible. 

And, in true Gunn fashion, the song choice is always a spot-on addition that adds to the scene. 

Monstrously fun

Before watching, I knew nothing about DC’s Creature Commandos, and I’m not sure how much I know walking away from watching the show. But that’s what made it so fun. I walked in with zero expectations and walked out wanting more. It left me with questions as to where they would go next and what new characters could possibly be introduced. 

It balanced humor, action, and drama well. As the viewer, you learned to root for (and against) certain characters based on the story you were privy to. Overall, it’s worth the time to watch and I’m excited for what Gunn will bring to Season Two. 

Creature Commandos Season One is available to stream on Max.  

What did you think on your first watch of the show?