Creature Commandos Hints at Long-Awaited Metal Men Movie Revival!

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The series Creature Commandos made an impressive debut within the DC Universe by introducing a fresh set of intriguing characters and meticulously building a believable fictional world. Alongside the captivating cast of Creature Commandos, it subtly hinted at the arrival of numerous other DC characters in the future. Characters such as Batman, Wonder Woman, and Sgt. Rock were among those teased over the course of its seven-episode run.

Interestingly, one DC team that Creature Commandos suggested could be part of a long-planned adaptation at Warner Bros., which has been in development for more than a decade. This project predates the first entry of the DCEU, Man of Steel. The characters alluded to are none other than the Metal Men.

Despite not being as well-known as some other DC superhero teams, such as Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, the Metal Men boast a cinematic appeal all their own. In fact, two different film adaptations have been attempted by Warner Bros., but each time, they were derailed by the frequent shuffling in leadership within DC and its parent company. Although no concrete plans are set (neither in stone nor metal), recent hints from Creature Commandos suggest that the Metal Men may be making their way into the DC Universe at last.

Who Are the Metal Men in DC Comics?

In a spring issue of 1962, within the pages of Showcase #37, the characters known as The Metal Men were introduced. These intricate robots were ingeniously designed by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru, initially conceived as a spontaneous tale. Will Magnus, their inventor, is responsible for crafting this sophisticated form of robotics. Comprising six distinct entities, each Metal Man bears a name corresponding to its metal alloy and embodies characteristics and abilities associated with that element.

  • Gold: The leader of the group, who can stretch his form almost infinitely.
  • Platinum: The sole female member of the team who sometimes goes by Tina and is in love with her creator. She also can turn parts of her body into filaments.
  • Iron: The strong man that possessed super strength.
  • Mercury: He has the ability to melt and pass through small spaces, with the ability to melt tied into his hot-headed nature.
  • Lead: Known for being loyal and protective, explaining his ability to shield his friends but turning parts of his body into literal shields.
  • Tin: The smallest member of the team, often insecure and possessing the same powers as Platinum.

Initially, the Metal Men garnered some popularity upon their introduction, even receiving their own bi-monthly comic book in the 1960s. However, this series was discontinued after just a couple of years. During the first twenty issues, these characters inhabited their own separate reality rather than being part of the DC Universe. Later on, they were incorporated into the DC Universe and appeared sporadically as background or cameo characters. Despite an effort to resurrect the concept in the 1990s, the Metal Men have largely been neglected and overlooked, symbolizing the cheerful, hopeful Silver Age of DC Comics in a contemporary era that tends to emphasize anti-heroes.

In the early 2000s, the Metal Men and their creator, Will Magnus, began to gain more prominence. They were a significant part of the renowned 2005/2006 storyline known as Infinite Crisis. Artist Alex Ross appears to have a special affection for the team, as a future amalgamation of the Metal Men called Alloy was introduced in Kingdom Come, with art by Ross and written by Mark Waid. Ross also included the Metal Men in his limited series Justice, a 12-part non-continuity Justice League story that draws inspiration from the animated series The Superfriends. The Metal Men were also featured in the well-liked animated series, Batman: Brave and the Bold.

The last ten years marked a fresh phase for The Metal Men. In 2013, within the ongoing narrative of the DC Universe known as the New 52, their new origin story unfolded in the Justice League series during the story arc called “Forever Evil.” Fast forward to 2019, one of Dan DiDio’s final projects before leaving his role as editor-in-chief at DC Comics was a 12-issue Metal Men miniseries. This renewed interest in the 2010s aligns with Warner Bros.’ intentions to make The Metal Men the main characters of their potential film, an idea that was publicly announced only a year prior to revealing their new origin story.

‘Metal Men’ Was Announced a Year Before ‘Man of Steel’

In 2010, Warner Bros. embarked on a fresh take of Superman, assigning some of their top talents to the project. Christopher Nolan, known for directing The Dark Knight trilogy, was named as the film’s producer. David S. Goyer, who wrote Batman Begins, took care of the script writing, and Zack Snyder, director of 300 and Watchmen, helmed the production. The movie, titled Man of Steel, was scheduled for release on June 14, 2013. A sneak peek at the film was presented 11 months prior during screenings of The Dark Knight Rises in July 2012. Following closely behind The Avengers, Man of Steel was poised to launch a new DC Comics universe on par with the MCU after the disappointing performance of Green Lantern in 2011.

A year prior to the release of Man of Steel, it was disclosed that Warner Bros. had initiated production on The Metal Men. What made this news even more intriguing was the addition of director Barry Sonnenfeld to oversee the film. Sonnenfeld gained fame in the early 90s, transitioning from a cinematographer for the Coen Brothers to becoming a successful director in his own right. He directed films like The Addams Family (1991), its sequel The Addams Family Values (1993), Get Shorty (1995), and the blockbuster Men in Black (1997). Although Sonnenfeld faced challenges with movies such as Wild Wild West, Men in Black II, and RV, he seemed to be an ideal choice for bringing The Metal Men to the big screen, suggesting a new take on the superhero genre.

Sonnfeld’s reinterpretations of “The Addams Family” and “Men in Black” demonstrated his ability to mold extraordinary concepts into fashionable comedies that resonate widely. Notably, “Men in Black” deviated from typical sci-fi action tropes, instead leaning heavily on humor accentuated by special effects. In a 2021 interview with ComicBookMovie, Sonnfeld discussed his vision for the Metal Men project.

It’s interesting because I’m currently working on Metal Men with Warner Bros., and we’re actively developing a storyline for it. For me, this project isn’t primarily about creating superheroes; instead, it’s more about constructing an imaginative world. If you look at my previous work, like The Addams Family, Men in Black, Pushing Daisies, Schmigadoon!, and A Series of Unfortunate Events, they all revolve around building unique worlds that are just a bit off-kilter and quirky. In the case of Metal Men, it’s going to be a specific type of world, but one that maintains a grounded connection to reality while still having an unusual tilt.

The Metal Men film concept seems to be more about a humorous, intellectually stimulating comedy rather than an action-packed blockbuster. Picture a group of six artificial intelligences, each with their own quirks and personalities, created by a genius scientist, navigating through the world in a series of amusing escapades. This could be likened to the cartoonish superhero adventures of shows like Alvin and the Chipmunks or The Smurfs, but with a twist of quality.

This departure from the standard action-driven superhero movies would have offered a refreshing take on the genre in the late 2010s, particularly during the gap between films like Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. If produced and released around 2014 or 2015, it could have contributed to the development of the DC Universe (DCU) in a unique way.

The Metal Men movie failed to take flight for an unexplained reason, with the project initially being mentioned by DC President Diane Nelson in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter shortly after Man of Steel was released in theaters. Interestingly, this announcement came just a week before Zack Snyder announced Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con. Metal Men was mentioned alongside other projects like The Sandman (which later became a television show), Fables, Justice League, and Aquaman by Nelson. Despite years passing with no progress on the project and the DCEU undergoing numerous changes following Man of Steel, Sonnenfeld reportedly remained attached to direct the Metal Men movie as late as 2021.

Disney Legends Join ‘Metal Men’…Which Might Have Been Caught in the WB Merger

Two months after I shared my enthusiasm for the anticipated Metal Men movie from Sonnenfeld, it was revealed that a distinct animated adaptation was being crafted at Warner Bros. However, there’s been no clarification yet if this animation project is a replacement for or an additional endeavor to Sonnenfeld’s live-action vision. This animated film is set to be helmed by John Musker and Ron Clements, two legendary directors who have left an indelible mark on Disney’s cinematic history.

The twosome initiated the Disney Renaissance through “The Little Mermaid” and subsequently produced the blockbuster sensation “Aladdin”. They persisted in traditional animation with “Hercules” and “Treasure Planet”, the latter being a significant flop at the studio. However, their first computer-generated imagery (CGI) animated film was “Moana”, a contemporary Disney masterpiece that currently holds the title as the most streamed movie on Disney+.

In 2018, Musker stepped down from his role at Walt Disney Animation, and it appeared that he took his long-time collaborator Clements to work on the Metal Men project for Warner Bros., Disney’s main rival. Musker and Clements were confirmed as producers of the Metal Men movie, with the possibility that they could also direct it. They had developed a concept for the film and were in the process of writing the script together with Celeste Ballard. Notably, Ballard has been involved in projects such as the revenge comedy “Do Revenge” starring Camila Mendes and Maya Hawke, and he was one of six screenwriters credited for “Space Jam: A New Legacy.

Initially, Allison Abbate, who used to be the Executive Vice President of Warner Animation Group, was in charge of the movie, given that it seemed similar to other DC theatrical animations she managed before, such as “Teen Titans Go! To the Movies” and “DC’s League of Super-Pets.” However, following the merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery, Inc., into Warner Bros. Discovery in August 2022, Abbate left her position. Then, in October 2022, James Gunn and Peter Safran took over as heads of DC Studios. In January 2023, Gunn revealed Chapter One of his vision for the DC Universe (DCU), which combined animated series and live-action films.

It seems we haven’t heard any updates regarding Musker and Clements’ animated Metal Men film, or Barry Sonnenfeld’s live-action version since late 2021. Given that David Zaslav, who recently took over as head of the combined Warner Bros. Discovery, has been making significant cuts to DC’s projects, there’s a strong possibility that both movies might have been scrapped. For instance, Zaslav canceled The Wonder Twins movie which was about to start filming and chose not to release the completed Batgirl movie for a tax deduction.

Although The Metal Men weren’t originally part of James Gunn’s initial plans for DC, it doesn’t rule out potential future developments. For instance, projects like Clayface, Sgt. Rock, and an animated film titled Dynamic Duo have been added to the DC Universe roster. Announced titles like The Authority and Brave and the Bold are still in production, but it seems that the introduction of Creature Commandos could hint at a revival of the Metal Men project.

How ‘Creature Commandos’ Sets Up the Metal Men

In the third episode of “Creature Commando,” titled “A Toast to the Tin Man,” we delve into the past, uncovering the genesis of G.I. Robot. Set in the 1960s, it’s disclosed that Doctor Will Magnus acquired a G.I. Robot. The series subtly hints that Magnus will conduct research on this robot, serving as the foundation for the Metal Men, as evidenced by a blueprint design for the character Gold and the sketches of other Metal Men’s logos drawn on these blueprints. Although Magnus is not seen after this revelation, his debut in animation could pave the way for the upcoming Musker and Clements animated Metal Men movie to potentially fit within the DC Universe.

In the ’60s, Will Magnus was an active character, which suggests that a Metal Men animated movie could be a period piece film set in the era, enhancing the realistic DC Universe created by James Gunn. The Metal Men were operational prior to the Creature Commandos events, as suggested by one of their famous foes being incarcerated at Belle Reeve’s prison. In Episode 4 titled “Chasing Squirrels,” we see Chemo, a villain who shares his debut with The Metal Men and is linked to their origins in the New 52 DC reboot, locked up alongside other monster-themed characters. This connection between Will Magnus and Chemo implies that James Gunn may have plans for The Metal Men, and it seems that Musker and Clements’s animated film might be the primary focus.

In the animated series “Creature Commandos,” Magnus is brought to life by actor Alan Tudyk. This versatile voice artist also lends his voice to Doctor Phosphorus and Clayface in the same series. Since 2012, when he debuted in Walt Disney Animation’s “Wreck-It-Ralph,” Tudyk has been a lucky charm of sorts for Disney, appearing in every one of their feature films since then. Prior to that, he worked with directors Musker and Clements on the film “Moana,” where he supplied the sounds for Heihei, the chicken sidekick character. Although Musker and Clements’ planned “Metal Men” movie might be developed as a standalone project, setting it in the 1960s could give the filmmakers creative freedom while also allowing it to be connected to the DCU.

In a nutshell, James Gunn has hinted at the possibility of actors who voice their characters in animation also appearing in live-action. However, Will Magnus was modeled to look like his comic character, with Tudyk imitating Mike Nichols for the voice. If Will Magnus or The Metal Men ever transition to live-action, it’s probable that the roles would be recast. As of now, the concept of the Metal Men seems more suited to an animated film rather than a live-action one. But if these characters gain popularity, they could easily star in their own live-action movie. It’s worth noting that the gap between animated films and live-action adaptations is shrinking significantly, as evident by Moana getting a live-action remake 10 years after her original film and two years after Moana 2.

Contrary to director Andy Muschietti’s claims, the prolonged development of The Flash, a more well-known DC character, has garnered more attention for its long-delayed superhero film. However, the team of heroes known as Metal Men have been in development limbo much longer; they were announced even before the DCEU started. If they do eventually make their appearance, it could be well after the DCEU concludes in a new shared universe. Whether it’s a live-action movie, an animated film, or a series, the Metal Men have been waiting for quite some time now. Meanwhile, Creature Commandos is currently available to stream on Max.

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2025-01-19 05:33