As Creature Commandos prepares to kick off James Gunn's DCU, its showrunner says he's 'thrilled' to be leading the charge ahead of the next Superman movie

Creature Commandos‘ showrunner Dean Lorey says he’s “excited” to be helming the DCU’s first-ever project
The adult animated series arrives seven months before James Gunn’s Superman movie flies into theaters
Lorey believes Gunn and Peter Safran “care deeply” about the cinematic universe they’re developing

Creature Commandos‘ showrunner has admitted he’s “thrilled” to be overseeing the first project in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s rebooted DC Cinematic Universe (DCU).

Speaking exclusively to TechRadar, Dean Lorey, who’s also one of the Max series’ executive producers, said he wasn’t worried about ensuring the DCU gets off to the best possible start. Instead, Lorey views Creature Commandos as the first of many “exciting” projects that are in works under the guidance of Gunn and his fellow DC Studios chief Peter Safran.

When Gunn announced the DCU’s first 11 films and TV shows in January 2023, many people expected the former Marvel writer-director to lead off with a tentpole movie starring one of DC’s most iconic heroes like Superman or Batman. Cue many surprised looks, then, when Creature Commandos was officially revealed as the first DCU project that would be released.

Rick Flag Sr leads his supervillain team out of a plane in Creature Commandos — Creature Commandos will precede Gunn’s Superman movie, which lands in theaters in July 2025 (Image credit: Max/DC Studios)

Given the sharp decline in fan sentiment and engagement towards the DCU’s predecessor, aka the now-defunct DC Extended Universe (DCEU), it’s a fascinating move for a TV show to spearhead version 2.0 of Warner Bros’ superhero-based cinematic universe. The fact that Creature Commandos stars a wider variety of supervillains and anti-heroes, some of whom may be considered B-tier characters by DC diehards and casual viewers alike, makes it all the more curious that the R-rated show is at the forefront of DCU Chapter One‘s announced projects.

I’m really glad to be a representative of what’s to come
Dean Lorey, Creature Commandos showrunner

Nevertheless, Lorey believes long-time DC comic book enthusiasts and general audiences alike will tune in to get a taste of the universe that Gunn and Safran have built. Biased though he may be, Lorey is confident that viewers will stick around to watch the entire series, too.

“I’m exciting to be leading the charge,” Lorey replied when I asked if he was nervous about Creature Commandos releasing before Gunn’s Superman movie, which arrives next July, does. “I think we deliver the goods and that the show is terrific. Obviously, I’m biased, but I love the show and I’m really glad to be a representative of what’s to come.

“I haven’t seen [any footage of] Superman. I haven’t read its script, but I’m sure it’s wonderful. I know James, and I feel like he and Peter care deeply about quality. They want scripts polished and ready to go before [entering full] production. It’s a different way of approaching a cinematic world and, honestly, I’m thrilled to be at the forefront of it.”

I’ll be covering Creature Commandos, which debuts on Max on December 5, in more detail, and have more exclusives to bring you, in the run-up to release and as new episodes drop. In the meantime, read more of my DCU-based coverage below.

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