Dean Lorey, executive producer of the animated Creature Commandos series, talks about the series launching the DCU.
Lorey spoke with TheWrap during the Television Critics Association’s 2024 summer tour, and shared some thoughts on the upcoming series.
"That’s going to be the first expression of James Gunn’s DC Universe. We’re considering that canon, and I think it expresses his perspective, tonally, on where he wants the universe to go," said Lorey. He went on to say that with the series following Amanda Waller, it's "nothing new," but there is still a lot to say. "It’s ‘Suicide Squad.’ He’s done it" People aren’t going to be surprised by what it is, but I think they’ll be really encouraged to see how completely it’s going to inform this new version of the DCU, which I’m very excited about."
Previously, Gunn had said of the series at the Annecy Animation Festival, "The new series picks up directly after our Peacemaker season one finale, which leaves Waller with her hands tied operationally, meaning that she’s no longer able to get away with putting human lives on the line to carry out her clandestine morally questionable missions." According to The Hollywood Reporter, he went on to add, "Instead, she recruits a ragtag band of misfits, not unlike the Suicide Squad and Peacemaker."
Gunn also shared how vital of a role he feels animation will play in the new DCU. "It’s a cornerstone of the legacy we’ve been entrusted to carry at DC Studios and plays an integral role in the vision for our future storytelling. Since taking the reins, our true north has been to bring DC film, TV, animation and gaming into alignment under a single banner and bring a sense of unity and consistency into the DCU as a whole. This frees us to create a range of products that are diverse and compelling, and deliver great stand-alone entertainment experiences on every medium, while also being part of a larger story that we’re telling within our unified DCU."
He went on to add, "What this means in practical terms is that our characters can move in and out of animation or jump into a game or onto the big screen, but they will remain consistent throughout: same character, same history, same actor."
The full cast of the series includes Indira Varma (Obi-Wan Kenobi) as the main protagonist of the series, Bride of Frankenstein. She will be joined by Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., David Harbour (Stranger Things, Black Widow) as Eric Frankenstein, Zoe Chao (Your Place or Mine) as Nina Mazursky, Sean Gunn as G.I. Robot & Weasel, Alan Tudyk (Doom Patrol) as Doctor Phosphorous, Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, and Anya Chalotra as Circe.
Creature Commandos will debut on Max in Dec.
