Creature Commandos: Dean Lorey Talks DCU Relaunch and Finale

Dean Lorey delves into the distinctive qualities of the Creature Commandos characters within James Gunn’s reimagined DC Universe. Under the innovative leadership of Gunn and Peter Safran, a new chapter in the DC Universe is unfolding, marked as Chapter 1: “Gods and Monsters.” Although numerous live-action films and series are slated for release by Summer 2025, the DC Universe is kicking off its new era through the animated series Creature Commandos. This early venture into animation promises to set the tone for an exciting new direction for the franchise.

Operating under Amanda Waller’s command, the Creature Commandos team brings together a captivating assortment of characters, presenting a stark contrast to the traditional Task Force X. In this series, the narrative centers around actual monsters, a creative pivot following the shutdown of Amanda’s Suicide Squad initiative. Similar to their predecessors, the Creature Commandos are under the leadership of a Flag family member, with Rick Flag Sr. stepping in to guide this intriguing new ensemble within the DC Universe.

Related

DCU Chapter One Gods And Monsters: Every Movie & Show In The New DC Universe

James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe begins with six movies and six shows that open the DCU’s first chapter, “Gods and Monsters”.

In a revealing interview with ScreenRant, showrunner Dean Lorey elaborated on the unique aspects that make Creature Commandos a standout within the superhero genre. He highlighted the differences that set it apart from the established narratives like the Suicide Squad, emphasizing how the DC Universe is creatively addressing the concept of monsters. Lorey also hinted at exploring the intricate character backgrounds of figures such as Rick Flag Sr. and Rick Flag Jr. in possible future seasons, while teasing how the Creature Commandos storyline sets the stage for a potential season 2, offering exciting connections for fans of his previous animated series, Harley Quinn.

Discover Insights from Showrunner Dean Lorey on the Creature Commandos

“Our Unique Perspective on Classic Monsters in Creature Commandos”

ScreenRant: Would you say that the Creature Commandos team is essentially the DC Universe’s answer to the Suicide Squad? How do they stand out from what we have seen before, especially under James’s regime?

Dean Lorey: First of all, they’re, at least a couple of them, classic film monsters. So that’s, to me, kind of fun, and our take on them is very different, I think, from the classic take on those monsters. Frankenstein, he’s a stalker, he’s a bad guy, and he’s also kind of an intellectual, weirdly. He’s very lonely. He just wants the Bride and then she is, in my mind, the lead of the series. Certainly in season 1, I think she’s the driving force there.

One of the characters that I elevated a lot towards is Rick Flag Sr., and what I was wondering: is there any chance, even if it’s just through flashbacks, that we might see more of Rick’s dynamic with his son, whether it was during his childhood or maybe with Joel Kinnaman’s grown-up version?

Dean Lorey: Well, we don’t go into Flag’s backstory in this season. So the [answer’s] no, but that’s just for this season. I would love to get into it in later seasons.

Dean Lorey Discusses Creature Commandos in Comparison to the Justice League

How would the Creature Commandos stack up against the Justice League, in your opinion? This is a very different team, it’s a mixture of monsters, versus something like aliens or metahumans. How would this team fare with the JLA?

Dean Lorey: I don’t know how anybody can go up against Superman, but I would guess probably they’d struggle, if I’m being honest, but I would gladly be [on] board to do that show, if anybody wants it.

Dean Lorey Explores the Future of Creature Commandos: Season 2 and Beyond

“Anticipate Exciting Developments at the End of Season 1!”

You were speaking about it as season 1, so is Creature Commandos something that you guys have designed with the intention of a traditional five-year-plan, a series bible, what can you speak about it? Because there’s, obviously, other characters that could be featured and this could go on for as long as possible.

Dean Lorey: Yeah, we absolutely want to do a second season. There’s no particular five-season plan or anything like that. But we definitely want to do another season. You will see at the end of the first season, some of the characters that might be part of that, and there’s a lot of fun to come, I hope.

Are there other corners of the DCU that you would love to explore as a storyteller, outside of Creature Commandos because we know there’s a lot of projects already announced, but is there something that you would love to tap into, beyond these wonderful characters, of course.

Dean Lorey: Well, I’m all in on the Harleyverse. There’s a show that I am hoping to be able to announce somewhat soon, that is in the Harleyverse that I’m very excited about. Yeah, that’s the main one.

Dean Lorey Shares Exciting Details About the Creature Commandos Season 1 Finale

And for someone like me who was seeing the first 5, what teases can you give me about episodes 6 and 7?

Dean Lorey: Everything gets wrapped up. I’ll say that all the questions about who’s lying, who’s not lying, allegiances, all of that will get resolved, and it’s a very emotional ending. It’s not the ending I expected when I was reading them for the first time; I was surprised at how it played out, and I think people will be too. They’re great, by the way.

We know some of these characters are going to carry over to other projects. Would you say that the finale maybe gives a little idea of what to expect?

Dean Lorey: I don’t know – I wish I did! I don’t know because I don’t really know what James is planning. But there are certainly characters that do continue in other things, like Amanda Waller, Flag…so I know they continue, but I’m a little in the dark too, so I’m excited to find out what happens.

Everything You Need to Know About Creature Commandos Season 1

CREATURE COMMANDOS follows a covert team of incarcerated monsters who are enlisted for missions deemed too perilous for humans. When conventional methods fail, these supernatural beings become the last, albeit reluctant, option. The series is crafted by James Gunn, based on beloved DC characters and produced by DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation. The executive producing team includes Peter Safran, Dean Lorey, and Sam Register, with Rick Morales as supervising producer.

Stay tuned for more exciting interviews and insights regarding Creature Commandos season 1: