Creature Commandos, our introduction toJames Gunn’s DCU, is a hit with viewers and critics alike, something that bodes well for his vision. WithSupermanupcoming on the big screen (and atrailer imminent), a second season ofPeacemakerand new entryLanternson the small screen, things are looking up, up and away. Even Gunn’s explanations of canon vs non-canon are starting to come into focus, making a little more sense along the way.But if Gunn is wise, the DCU would do well to remember and celebrate its television roots by keeping theArrowversealive.
DC Flourished on TV When the DCEU Floundered
In October 2012, the CW’s Arrowverse kicked off with the premiere ofArrow, a series centered around DC’s second-tier hero Green Arrow, played byStephen Amell. Nine months later, Warner Bros. launched the DCEU withZack Snyder’sMan of Steel, featuringHenry Cavillas the iconic A-list hero Superman.Two different mediums with two different initiatives were kept segregated save for their concurrent timelines.For one, the first-tier superheroes were off-limits, as was the first-tier budget. For the other, the DC Trinity and other big-hitters from DC Comics were being afforded the budget to take on the rival MCU.
Conventional wisdom suggests that the DCEU would be so far ahead of the Arrowverse in terms of quality and reception that the latter would look like a cheap knock-off at best, and by rights that should have been the case.Only the opposite was true.The CW’s Arrowversestarted off strongwithArrowand built a franchise that was engaging and quirky, serious when it needed to be, and fun when it could.The DCEU’s first entry received mixed reviews and courted controversy, and the franchise as a whole offered a few outright winners, likeWonder WomanandAquaman, but otherwise proved to be largely disappointing.
You Can Thank Marlon Brando for Completely Changing the Meaning of Superman’s S-Logo
There’s a Super-amount of meaning behind the iconic S.
Adding insult to injury, the Arrowverse was pulling off amazing effects on a TV budget, successfully delivering major crossover events like the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event that honored DC’s TV past with nods toSmallvilleandSuper Friends. Meanwhile, the DCEU was being mocked mercilessly over things like Cavill’s off-puttingCGI moustache removalforJustice League. And somehow it got even worse, with the Arrowverse introducing adefinitive FlashwithGrant Gustinanda near-definitive SupermanwithTyler Hoechlin,nailing the only two A-list superheroes they had access to, while their big-screen counterparts paled in comparison.
The DCU’s TV Roots Are Right Up James Gunn’s Alley
The Arrowverse wasn’t the only group of DC TV projects keeping DC Comics in the public eye, either.Doom Patrol,Gotham,Harley QuinnandTeen Titans Go!are just a handful of projects that graced, or continue to grace, the small screen before the DCEU whimpered away withAquaman and the Lost Kingdom. There simply has to be something the DCU can do toacknowledge its appreciation for how these series satisfied DC fans when the film division was doing what it could, seemingly, to p**s them off.
That said, there is arguably no better person than Gunn to champion these projects in his own DCU. Series likeDoom PatrolandDC’s Legends of Tomorrowhave the peripheral characters and outright outlandishness that Gunn delights in (can you imagine what he could do withBeebo?!).Constantine’s John Constantine (Matt Ryan) is a natural to slide into the world ofCreature Commandos. If he doesn’t already have someone in mind for the role down the road, Gunn would delight fans by bringing in Gustin as the DCU’s Flash, or evenBrandon Routhas theKingdom ComeSuperman he played in the aforementioned “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event. He hasn’t even really cracked open DC’s multiverse, so the means of recognizing these series is already built into the DC mythos. So, Mr. Gunn, if you’re reading this, let’s make it happen, even if it’s only a Beebo vs. Peacemaker battle (and totally unrelated, but if you could bring inAmbush Bug, I, for one, would love you forever).
Creature Commandosis available to stream in the U.S. on Max
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Creature Commandos
In “Creature Commandos,” Amanda Waller assembles a covert team of monstrous operatives, including a werewolf, vampire, and gorgon, to undertake high-risk missions deemed too perilous for human agents.
