Among the animated projects currently under consideration by James Gunn, director of The New Change, are many from the DCU.
DC Studios Co-CEO James Gunn recently clarified that, although they have several ongoing animation projects, not all of them will be connected to the New DC Cinematic Universe (New DCU). The revelation came at the 2024 Annecy International Animation Festival, where Gunn shared details about the upcoming Creature Commando adaptation, highlighting that DC Studios won’t limit its animation to a single narrative.
Gunn and fellow DC Studios co-head Peter Safran have been clear from the start about the importance of their plans for the future of animation. The Creature Commando premiere marks our first foray into the new DCU, but, according to Gunn, that doesn’t mean all future projects will follow this pattern.
“It is a cornerstone of the legacy we are honored to carry on at DC Studios and plays a vital role in our vision for the future of storytelling,” Gunn explained to the festival audience. This approach demonstrates DC’s commitment to expanding and diversifying its reach across multiple platforms while enriching the user experience. At the helm of DC, Gunn and Safran seek to align film, television, animation and video games under one banner, creating unity and consistency across the DC Universe. This concerted effort is critical to crafting a multifaceted narrative that resonates with a global audience.
The versatility of DC characters
This means that, in practical terms, the characters can move freely between animation, video games and cinema, keeping the same character, the same story, the same cast. For example, Viola Davis will reprise her role as Amanda Waller in the animated series, and Frank Grillo will do the same with his character Rick Flag Sr. .
The new series, which airs after the first season of Peacemaker, leaves Waller with her “hands tied operationally”, meaning she can’t risk human life on covert and morally questionable missions. Instead, unlike the suicide squad and the peacemaker, he recruits the wrong groups. “They really are monsters, and I’m glad you found them. Creating this series has been one of the greatest joys of my life,” said Gunn.
Recording and screening of creature commandos
The cast of the animated series, which may be involved in live-action projects, includes Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana Rostovich, Indra Varma as The Bride, Zoe Chao as Nina Mazursky, Alan Tudyk as Dr. Phosphorus, David Harbor as Eric Frankenstein, and Sean Gunn as GI Robot and Weasel, Steve Agee as John Economists and Anya Chalotra as Cersei.
Since first appearing in Strange War Stories #93 in November 1980, the comic series has been famous for combining Frankenstein’s monster with werewolves, vampires and gorgons to fight the Nazis during World War II. This series has the honor of being the first DCU project that Gunn and Safran have approved, and will be the first we’ll see on screen from DC Studios.
This announcement demonstrates DC Studios’ commitment to exploring new frontiers in animation, ensuring that animated entertainment is diverse and engaging, while being part of a larger story in the unified DCU. With projects like Creature Commando, DC Studios is not only delving into innovative genres and formats, but also setting the example for future creative explorations in the wider universe.