James Gunn Talks ‘Creature Commandos’ and ‘Superman’: “David Corenswet Is Going to Freak Everyone Out”

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As a longtime fan of comic book adaptations, I can confidently say that James Gunn has outdone himself with Creature Commandos. His ability to breathe life into these quirky, complex characters is truly remarkable. It’s clear that he’s formed deep bonds with his talented cast, and it shows in the naturalistic style of their performances.

James Gunn’s latest project, Creature Commandos, marks his third successive critically acclaimed venture with DC. However, it’s the initial offering from his new slate at DC Studios, where he serves as co-head. In a technical sense, this is the fifth highly praised project in a row following his oversight of Matt Reeves’ DC Elseworlds’ HBO series, The Penguin, and the acquisition of Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story at Sundance. While not initially planned as the start of a rebooted DC universe, the massive success of Peacemaker‘s first season on HBO Max (now known as Max) prompted them to ask Gunn for another streaming series. He penned all seven episodes of Creature Commandos without a contract, and just as he was finalizing details, he was offered the position by Warner Bros. Discovery to oversee the entire universe alongside his producer friend, Peter Safran. As such, Creature Commandos is the first production since the series was already in progress.

Towards the end of 2022, following submission of his scripts for “Creature Commandos”, Gunn realized he needed a showrunner and began collaborating with Safran on planning the initial phase of the DCU (DC Universe). This long-term strategy, spanning eight to ten years, is now referred to as “Gods and Monsters”. It encompasses multiple films, TV series, and games, with the 2025 “Superman” film marking the true start of the DCU. During this time, Dean Lorey, who co-created the popular animated series “Harley Quinn” (2019), was assisting Gunn in bringing “Creature Commandos” to life. Despite Gunn’s busy schedule with “Superman” and numerous other projects, Lorey is thankful that Gunn remained actively involved in “Creature Commandos”, rather than delegating the task to others.

Lorey shared with The Hollywood Reporter that it was truly a standout experience for her, one she enjoyed personally without any intermediaries involved. In essence, she had everything she needed in one convenient location.

Gunn remarks: “Going through numerous individuals can be quite frustrating. To be frank, I found something positive about my collaboration with Marvel. There was constant communication [with Marvel], and while there were times for healthy debates, these always resulted in unique outcomes. It wasn’t a matter of people siding against each other. The political aspect was absent, and this is how we approached Creature Commandos. It was a joint effort between me and Dean to create the best possible product, and none of us were egotistical.

As a fan, I’m excited to dive into “Creature Commandos,” picking up right after the events of Peacemaker season one! After a congressional ruling prevents Amanda Waller from using human prisoners for A.R.G.U.S.’s risky missions, she ingeniously switches gears and employs imprisoned monsters instead. This new strategy sees Rick Flag Sr., father of the late Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman), receiving a fresh assignment and team. You might remember Flag Sr. from his pivotal role in Gunn’s DC debut, The Suicide Squad (2021), where he tragically lost his life at the hands of Peacemaker/Christopher Smith (John Cena). In this spin-off, we’ll see Frank Grillo reprise his character, who is also set to play a crucial role in the upcoming Superman film and the second season of Peacemaker. This interconnected universe is exactly the kind of synergy that Gunn aims to foster between animation and live-action projects.

Regarding the imminent live-action debut of DCU, Gunn is presently previewing the 2025 film titled “Superman”, and he continues to be incredibly optimistic about David Corenswet’s portrayal of Superman/Clark Kent.

To be completely frank, David Corenswet will leave everyone astounded by his talent, Gun asserts. He’s truly exceptional and versatile – one of the finest actors I’ve had the pleasure to collaborate with. His abilities are nothing short of amazing.

Gunn has recently completed Peacemaker season two, and he’s thrilled about the unique twist that will be unveiled for viewers towards the end of 2025.

Director James Gunn hints that the second season of ‘Peacemaker’ will catch viewers off guard. Unlike the first season, we’re heading in an entirely new direction, and the captivating tale promises to leave audiences spellbound.

In their chat with THR, Gunn and Lorey clarify some aspects of what counts as canon from the discontinued DC Extended Universe, along with hinting at the possibility of another season for Creature Commandos.

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Hey James, could you tell us why you and Peter Safran decided that Creature Commandos would be a good starting point when you were coming up with your strategy for the DCU?

JAMES GUNN To be honest, it wasn’t initially planned out this way. The key point is that the script was already written. (Laughs) HBO Max approached me about creating another show following the success of Peacemaker, but I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to work on next. Making a commitment to a TV series is quite significant, so I simply began brainstorming various concepts and eventually penned down Creature Commandos on spec. I wrote all seven episodes in just a few weeks, and then as I was wrapping up those scripts, I was offered the position of co-head at DC Studios. This meant we were set to proceed with Creature Commandos.

Hey Dean! It seems like you’ve been juggling both Creature Commandos and Harley Quinn, but once James finished writing all the scripts, I’m curious if he handed over the reins to you, so to speak?

DEAN LOREY I oversaw the production and guided it along, yet James remained deeply engaged at each stage. We shared with him the compiled voice recordings, the animated storyboards, every detail, ensuring that James was an integral part of the entire journey.

James juggles 700 things at the same time, so I just assumed he had to delegate. 

LOREY I don’t know how he does it!

Every time I collaborated with the Creature Commandos, it felt like a magical Christmas to me. Tackling a project as massive as Superman might seem insane. It’s challenging and demanding. However, the team behind Creature Commandos was performing such extraordinary work, and the cast was phenomenal. They consistently delivered one fantastic element after another, but I also had a deep investment in it. The aspects I care about, I delve deeply into their intricate details. Naturally, I worked closely with the actors during the recording of everything, which is generally straightforward. In the end, there were seven episodes and they weren’t lengthy. So we recorded everyone performing everything simultaneously, and it didn’t take too much time.

After interviewing you for “The Suicide Squad” and “Peacemaker,” I was curious if those storylines would still be relevant in the new DC Universe. You quickly allayed my concerns by referencing events from both, leading me to wonder if we should consider “The Suicide Squad” and “Peacemaker Season 1” as prequels or prologues for the upcoming DCU.

GUNN: Indeed, they’re referred to as light canon. Peacemaker, for the most part, is quite straightforward, but there’s an unusual appearance by a specific team [the former DCEU’s Justice League] at the end. (Chuckles) At present, they don’t actually exist. However, our rule is: if we reference something from the past in one of the new DCU productions, then it’s considered to have occurred. So that’s how we’re handling it.

Hey there! As a passionate fan, I can’t help but wonder about your unique perspective as a writer-director and co-head of a studio. Could you share with us what it feels like to receive acknowledgement from such a diverse role in the industry?

LOREY (Laughs heartily) To be completely honest, it was among the most wonderful experiences I’ve ever had. As the show’s creator, James’ instructions were crystal clear and incredibly detailed. Moreover, I knew that once we implemented them, there would be no need for intermediaries. It was like having a one-stop solution.

Working through numerous individuals can be quite a hassle, but I must admit that it was a positive aspect I picked up from Marvel. Typically, when you’re involved in a film project, it’s the director’s vision, studio’s input, and producers’ opinions that dominate. Sometimes, it’s even the production company, and often, all these voices can clash significantly. However, working with Marvel was refreshingly different – it was me as the director and them as the producers/studio. This setup facilitated a clear dialogue, although there were times of constructive debate. Fortunately, these disagreements always led to innovative outcomes, not power struggles or politics. Essentially, we collaborated on Creature Commandos, aiming to produce the best possible result, with none of us being overly concerned about our egos.

Hey there! It’s been quite some time since we started working together at DC Studios. Could you share with me the part of this experience that has surprised you the most so far?

GUNN (PARAPHRASING) To achieve the best results with my limited time, I prioritize wisely. There are numerous tasks that must be delegated to others, and I ensure my efforts are concentrated where they matter most. I’m a detail-oriented person, so when working on a film project, I scrutinize every aspect. This level of involvement has become exhausting, and frankly, I can no longer maintain the pace I’ve set for myself over the past [number of years].

Hey Dean, there might be attempts to draw details from James today using various methods, some subtle and others quite obvious. Has your personal interest in the Commando unit and its potential real-life applications ever led you to pry for more information?

LOREY To be honest, I haven’t asked James for any details about these characters. Instead, I prefer to be surprised. Ideally, James will continue writing the next set of material and I can read it just as I did with the previous batch. That’s how I’d like to learn more about them unless I’m the one doing the writing.

Has the idea of using Sean Gunn as a real-life version of the GI Robot character ever been discussed or considered before?

Sure thing!

Is the plan to still have the principal voice actors play their characters in live-action?

GUNN Absolutely. 100 percent.

And you’re aiming for consistency between both mediums?

Indeed, the global political landscape is remarkably uniform in this narrative. It portrays those with metahuman abilities who hold power, as well as those without, and the individuals pulling the strings behind the scenes – both with and without superhuman abilities. While we get a hint of it here, it’s more fully explored in stories like Superman and Peacemaker.

The classic tale of Frankenstein is experiencing a significant resurgence, with works like “Poor Things”, “Lisa Frankenstein”, your production, and upcoming projects from Guillermo Del Toro and Maggie Gyllenhaal contributing to this revival. How drastically did you intend to depart from the original narrative in your creation?

In our creation of this mercenary character, we drew inspiration from aspects of the DC version of Frankenstein, yet we also incorporated numerous elements from Mary Shelley’s original novel, Frankenstein. This blend is seen not only in the Bride but also in Frankenstein himself. We’ve combined these elements in a way that introduces additional intriguing factors. I must admit, I have a deep affection for Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and part of the enjoyment lies in reimagining this classic within our own narrative, much like we’re doing with the DC universe.

LOREY And David Harbour’s performance adds a whole other dimension to our Frankenstein.

GUNN Indira’s [Varma] Bride, too. The two of them are just incredible.

Hey Dean, among all the episodes, did any particular backstory for the Commandos really surprise or catch you off-guard, and if so, was it Weasel’s (portrayed by Sean Gunn)?

GAMER Man, I gotta say, uncovering Weasel’s past really hit me hard. I wasn’t expecting such a heart-wrenching and emotional tale from this character. It was a total surprise, leaving me in awe.

James, when you call Michael Rooker now, does he answer the phone by saying, “Yes, I’ll do it”?

Absolutely, he does come through for me, and he truly excels at his role in Creature Commandos. My good friend Linda Cardellini, who I’ve collaborated with frequently, is equally impressive as Weasel’s lawyer, Elizabeth [Bates], in episode four. This group of individuals, including Nathan Fillion and Gregg Henry, are all exceptional talents that I have the privilege of knowing well. They never disappoint me, and because I understand their abilities so well, I make sure to utilize them effectively throughout our projects.

Have I ever managed to capture any of the actors working together on set amidst Hollywood’s hectic schedule? If so, I’d be eager to share that experience!

Indeed, it was quite a treat! I managed to gather quite a few of them. Among them were Indira and Zoë [Chao]. Their chemistry was electric, and they couldn’t help but express their admiration for each other. It was an enjoyable spectacle. Who else joined us in the gathering?

GUNN Grillo and Harbour. And Grillo and Maria [Bakalova].

LOREY That’s right.

In order to ensure the dialogue between couples on our show felt authentic and engaging, rather than monotonous and scripted, we aimed for a conversational, give-and-take dynamic. Indira and Zoë contributed additional nuances that helped maintain this lively, realistic feel throughout their interactions. From the outset, we prioritized preserving this naturalistic style to make each conversation seem genuine.

Has there been informal talk of a Creature Commandos season two if all goes well? 

GUNN We’ve talked about it, yeah.

Could I inquire about the current mood or reception of the latest tales featuring Clark Kent and Chris Smith, played by John Cena?

GUNN I’m really enjoying myself. The movie Superman, despite being quite massive in scale, offers a completely unique experience that’s equally impressive. In truth, David Corenswet will leave everyone astounded by his exceptional performance. He is undoubtedly one of the most talented actors I’ve had the pleasure to work with, boasting an incredibly wide range of skills. Truly, he is phenomenal.

Furthermore, the second season of Peacemaker is set to captivate audiences. Unlike the first season, we’re exploring a completely new direction, and it promises to be an enchanting tale that will leave viewers spellbound. Notably, Frank Grillo, as well as Superman, will play significant roles in this narrative. His character, Rick Flag Sr., is also part of the storyline from Creature Commandos.

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Creature Commandos premieres December 5 on Max. 

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2024-12-04 02:25