Creature Commandos is more than just an animated series based on a DC Comic airing on Max. This is the beginning of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DCU. It has been a long time coming, as the duo was appointed to run DC Studios over two years ago in October 2022, and the slate of projects, which Creature Commandos was confirmed to be part of, was revealed in January 2023. Now, after a series of box office disappointments in 2023 like Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Aquaman, and the Lost Kingdom, and 2024 mostly being from other corners of DC like Superman & Lois, Kite-Man: Hell Yeah!, and The Penguin; Creature Commandos is the long-awaited start in a new era for DC.

Creature Commandos was worth the wait, as it sits on Rotten Tomatoes with 96% based on 24 critics. Based on the first two episodes alone, Creature Commandos hints at a promising future for the DC Universe. One that is critically well-reviewed but also creatively allowed to flourish, thanks to a major creative choice that allows it to stand apart from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and many other shared universes.

Cast Indira Varma , Frank Grillo , Zoe Chao , David Harbour , Sean Gunn , Alan Tudyk , Anya Chalotra , Maria Bakalova , Viola Davis , Steve Agee , Benjamin Byron Davis Seasons 1

Great Reviews Build for a Solid Foundation in the DCU

Creature Commandos getting positive reviews is an excellent sign for the future of the franchise. The previous DCEU started with Man of Steel, which scored 57% on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s a mixed bag and not the strongest foundation to build a cinematic universe, particularly compared to the MCU’s Iron Man, which sits at 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. The DCEU would have a rough road as the following two entries, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, scored rotten ratings with 29% and 26%, respectively.

The DCEU would not get its first critically acclaimed entry until Wonder Woman with 93%. From then on, the road was a mixed bag, with movies like Aquaman, Shazam, Birds of Prey, and The Suicide Squad all getting fresh ratings while Justice League, Wonder Woman 1984, Black Adam, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom all received rotten ratings.

Related The Best Animated Justice League Movies, Ranked The Justice League might be scarce in live-action, but they appear in numerous DC animated movies.

It is far too early to tell how future DCU projects will be received, but Creature Commandos certainly is a promising start. Given that Gunn’s two other DC adaptations received 90% (The Suicide Squad) and 93% (Peacemaker), it at least suggests that Superman is in good hands. The real question is whether non-James Gunn-directed projects, like the upcoming Lanterns and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, can maintain this momentum. Yet in Creature Commandos, Gunn’s DCU starts with a fun hook for future filmmakers to build from: a DC Universe filled with characters.

A Lived in DC Universe in ‘Creature Commandos’

Right off the bat, what is striking about Creature Commandos as opposed to, say, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Monsterverse franchise, or even the past DCEU is that the entry point into this franchise drops the viewer into a lived-in universe filled with superpowered characters. Previous cinematic universe first installments, like Iron Man, Man of Steel, or Godzilla, all start in realities close to the one the viewers know. The film’s main event becomes the point of convergence where the universe shifts to encompass more fantastical elements.

These entry points seemingly exist in worlds with no other fantastical elements. Each franchise would later retcon this and show installments that had extraordinary events that proceeded the first film, be it the MCU with Captain America: The First Avenger and Captain Marvel, The DCEU with Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman 1984, or The MonsterVerse with Kong: Skull Island. But watching the first entry in all these franchises, they all are more grounded takes that serve as origin stories for their main characters that ease audiences into the cinematic universe.

Related Superman: What The Logo Reveals About James Gunn’s DCU Film James Gunn’s reveal of the Superman logo for his upcoming reboot hints at the direction he will take the character and the DCU.

Creature Commandos instead opts for the Star Wars approach of dropping the viewers into a lived-in universe with an established history. Star Wars’ decision to drop the viewer into the action was made as a homage to the sci-fi serials that inspired it, like Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon. Serials were designed to be watched week after week, and if an audience member missed one week, they would have to play catch up in the next installment.

Comic books operate on a similar principle, and Creature Commandos brings that energy to the DCU. Most readers do not get to start with #1 of a series, and even when they do, it is often in an already established universe with a history and continuity to it. Creature Commandos feels like picking up a DC Comic that focuses on a core team but references the more expansive universe. That is a refreshing approach to a superhero franchise and a cinematic universe. Instead of coming into a world like ours, this is an alternate universe with a sense of history begging to be explored. It opens up more exciting possibilities than just every famous DC hero emerging at the same point and having their origin stories retold.

Great DC Characters That Fans Want to Follow Into More Stories

Easily, the best thing about Creature Commandos is its wonderful cast of characters. In just two episodes, Gunn has built interesting personalities and teased some exciting dynamics. Each character feels well defined, while their backstories likely will provide a new context for these individuals. Doctor Phosphorus feels like a truly evil person but has a normal sense of humor. G.I. Robot and Nina Mazursky, in just a few small exchanges, have a love and affection for one another that can be read as friendship or potential romance. The Bride is cynical, but the hints of her origin are a different twist on the material than one audience might expect that informs her character in fascinating ways.

These are all great characters that fans will likely want to follow in future stories. The key to the Marvel Cinematic Universe was developing the characters and ensuring these were heroes that audiences would want to follow in future projects. Iron Man was a hit for many reasons, but the standout reason for many was Robert Downey Jr.’s depiction of Tony Stark. The Guardians of the Galaxy became a hit because audiences fell in love with those characters despite the comic book versions never being that popular.

The DCEU, on the other hand, was more invested in iconography and themes, hoping that audiences’ past love of these characters would do a lot of the heavy lifting. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is the second film in the DCEU and features a Superman audience barely fighting a Batman they’ve just met and don’t care about. Creature Commandos couldn’t rest on audiences already knowing these characters; it had to put in the work, and already within two episodes, these are figures who fans would want to see interact with the likes of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and more. Creature Commandos has proven to be the right start for the DCU. Creature Commandos is streaming on Max.