James Gunn's First DC Studios Project Gets Exciting Release Update Amid Strikes

Warner Bros. Discovery has not had an easy go of it with their DC properties in 2023. "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" failed to impress, "The Flash" flopped, and even strong reviews weren't enough to stop "Blue Beetle" from bombing at the box office.

This is, of course, compounded by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which have ground most upcoming film and television projects to an indefinite halt. Still, it's not all bad news. To hear it from actor Frank Grillo on Instagram, James Gunn's animated "Creature Commandos" series for Max is moving ahead. 

The actor recently shared a (since expired) story on his Instagram with the following text: "No delay for #creaturecommandos. All ready to go, as per @James Gunn. I'm so pumped to see this." 

For those unfamiliar with the Creature Commandos, the team first debuted in the early '80s and includes classic Universal-style monsters as part of its unit. Though these creatures were originally much more stereotypical in their appearance, they have since gone through several iterations and appear to be highly stylized in Gunn's upcoming animated series.

Unsurprisingly, the "Creature Commandos" team will also be getting a new addition in the form of Weasel (Sean Gunn) from James Gunn's previous DC project, "The Suicide Squad." With the inclusion of this character, as well as Viola Davis reprising her role as Amanda Waller, we can assume that, unlike the upcoming "The Batman" and "Joker" sequels, this story will be a part of the mainline continuity of the DCU.

As for Frank Grillo, he had already shared his enthusiasm earlier this year regarding his role in the upcoming series. "To say I'm excited to Join the @dcofficial universe is a wild understatement," he wrote in another Instagram post. "What @jamesgunn and #PeterSafran have in store across all media is PHENOMENAL, as is the cast. #HereWeGo!!!!"

Though fans will no doubt be lamenting that other DCU projects like "Superman: Legacy" and "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" will remain in limbo for now, they can at least take some solace in knowing that they'll soon have some DCU-related content coming down the pipeline to enjoy. While no release date has been given, "Creature Commandos" is expected to premiere on Max in 2024.