Are The Creature Commandoes Really A Good First Step?

When Disney acquired Marvel, a large number of people were scratching their heads because what they got was a list of, well, B to D list characters. The more popular characters were spread out among other movie studios. Then it was a strange move to start a cinematic universe with a character that people may have known by name but not as an icon. That character was Iron Man, which was not a famous character at the time. Obviously, that changed. DC tried something similar when they used Green Lantern to jumpstart their own universe. Green Lantern was a more familiar character than Iron Man during their cinematic debuts, but other DC characters are still vastly more popular. Things turned around for DC when Superman was the center of the reboot. Now, here comes another one for DC. Even though another Superman movie is on the horizon, it’s not the first step in this refreshed cinematic universe, it’s the Creature Commandoes. But are they the right first step?

What the Creature Commandoes are is exactly what their name is; they are a special forces unit that are monsters. Monsters that hail from classic literature monsters like Frankenstein’ Monster while others are a bit more original. It’s a reckless bunch. An obscure group, chaotic, a human at the center. Characters that may not appear heroic, but are in fact, heroic. This team is a perfect group for James Gunn to pick up. The Guardians of the Galaxy had a similar flare as does the Suicide Squad.  For both teams, he did a great job in bringing them to life.  Taking that into account, of course, James Gunn would want the Creature Commandoes.  But, he is facing the same problem he did when he tackled the Guardians of the Galaxy; not a lot of people know who they are so will they care? Guardians of the Galaxy had the benefit of the doubt of being in a universe that already had success. It rode on momentum and then eventually carried its own weight. Gunn’s new project faces a steeper climb. It’s the first in a franchise that already has a gray cloud over it.  Luckily for Gunn, he does have a proven track record of turning lesser-known comic book characters into household names. But will it be enough to draw in attention for Creature Commandos? 

So, if a plan was placed to start the DCU with more familiar faces, who would it be? The obvious answer will be Superman. A movie is – at the time of writing – still being filmed but is the first actual film for the DCU. It’s an easy call to make a Superman movie the first movie in a new phase of DC films. He has been not only one of the biggest faces of DC but perhaps one of the biggest faces in all of comic books and maybe all of pop culture. He needs to be at the center, he needs to start things off. However, DC’s last attempt to make a connected cinematic universe began with Superman and that led to a phenomenon worthy of a movie itself.  The next obvious choice will be Batman. Very much like Superman, he is not only a face of DC but all of comic books and pop culture. The actual comic book stories have put the Dark Knight at the center of many galaxy-wide, universe-wide, multiverse-wide plots. Batman has a connection with many characters within the DC universe, heroes and villains. Easy choice, right? But this also comes with a problem because of another movie. The Batman universe with Matt Reeves may be a factor as to why Batman is kind of on the back burner for the DCU. At one point, people will see two Batmen coexisting at the same time completely separate from each other. So, as for now, seeing the DCU’s Batman as little as possible may be beneficial to the character and could be respecting what came before with The Batman. Wonder Woman is the next logical choice. She is a part of DC’s trinity, which in of itself, is vastly famous. Unlike her other companions, she hasn’t had the same treatment as them outside of two movies in recent years. She is a great candidate. A Wonder Woman project is confirmed for the DCU. It will be a Game of Thrones-style prequel to the Wonder Woman character. Going off that, it seems Gunn wants to stretch out the character’s history. But why now just have that as the first project? It’s a prequel to a thousand-year-old character, so it will be before many stories come out. So it makes sense canonically. It could also set up the rivalry with the Old Gods and New Gods which could then put in place Darkseid. More importantly, it involves a character many people are familiar with which is Wonder Woman. Yet that project is down the road.  Gunn knows what he wants and what he needs. But that’s why he’s in his in position and a fan is over here talking about it.

So, is there another character or a group of characters that are a little bit more recognizable and still obscure enough to meet Gunn’s interest? Of course, there is! Deathstroke is a character that many fans of DC are aware of. He has been in many different platforms of storytelling; comic books, video games, animated shows, and animated films. He did make a cinematic debut briefly but was not in action. So this is a perfect time to give him the stage. While he is known and liked in the comic book world, he isn’t that known to the general public. So, he does find that balance. Plus, Deathstroke does kind of fit that military operative character type that the Creature Commandoes are filling out. He is a mercenary after all and that actually makes him a great candidate to start the DCU because he could interact with a wide array of characters. Villains could hire him; heroes could be his target. Future contracts could set up future characters much like how Jim Gordan gave Batman a joker card at the end of Batman Begins. If groups of characters are something that’s still wanted, why not Red Hood and the Outlaws? Since it’s confirmed Damien Wayne will be Robin in the DCU’s Batman, he already has had Jason Todd as Robin. So, he could be back. And this lineup fits everything. The team has that obscurity, the military operative group, and has characters that fans know and the general audience doesn’t know. Red Hood is basically an undead assassin, Bizarro looks like a zombified Superman, and Artemis comes from mythology.  It’s a similar flare to the Creature Commandoes. There are a bunch of characters that could fit this mold, which makes the selection of Creature Commandoes a bit odd.

Choosing the Creature Commandoes is a bold move because they are heavily unknown and they are the ones that set up everything for characters that everyone in the world knows. It is safe to bet that the Creature Commandoes will not be at the center of this new universe but they are the first to come. But if their presence is minimal, then it makes it even stranger to have them be the first. They should not be the first. Other characters have done their due and need to be rewarded.