James Gunn’s greatest strength in making comic book movies must be his ability to translate his love of unknown characters to the screen. He sees something in them that many others don’t and makes the creative changes necessary to make them pop. TheGuardians of the Galaxyhad their fans before, but they’re worldwide sensations now. Can he pull off the same trick again with DC’sCreature Commandos?
James Gunn has taken over DC’s cinematic efforts after the drawn-out failure of the original DCEU. His influence has already been feltinThe Suicide SquadandPeacemaker, where he pulled the same D-list to A-list magic trick again. At least a couple of members of his Suicide Squad were well-known.Creature Commandosmight seem like more of an uphill battle.
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No one knew who the Guardians were before James Gunn
On July 06, 2025, Capcom announced an updated version of their well-received fighting game,Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds. This was and is standard practice in the genre, butUltimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3got some negative press upon its announcement. The game promised balancing updates, fixes for online features, new modes, stages, and, above all else, new playable characters. Some, including notedgame critic Angry Joe, felt slighted by the barebones additions for a full console release. The new fighters bore the brunt of the assault, as several of the listed names were less than iconic. Perhaps the most frequently mocked new entry to the roster was a one-of-a-kind creature named Rocket Raccoon. People were incensed to see him make the list. Some wrote articles to explain the character to fans. No one predicted the guy who hadjust put outSuperwould turn Rocket into one of the most beloved cinematic characters of the decade.
TheGuardians of the Galaxythat appear in their big-screen debut originated in Marvel Comics around 2008. Each member was created in the 60s or 70s for their own purposes, but they didn’t find their stride until they worked together. Adam Warlock may have been the best-known member before they got together, and he’s always been seen as a B-lister. Groot was a minor monster who fought the Hulk and joined the Howling Commandos.Rocket enjoyed a four-part miniseriesin the 80s, then barely appeared for the following two decades. Star-Lord featured sporadically in comics likeMarvel Premiereafter courting legal action from Robert Heinlein. Drax’s appearances in comics were all over the place before they figured out his current presentation. Gamora disappeared between the 70s and the 90s, but her adoptive father, Thanos, kept her around for crossover events. The 2008 team-up didn’t set the world on fire. It was the 61st best-selling comic at the time. With the help of co-writer Nicole Perlman and the excellent cast, James Gunn dredged the Guardians out of obscurity.
James Gunn can make the Creature Commandos mainstream
Like the Guardians of the Galaxy, theCreature Commandos are almost unknown. They originated in theWeird War Talesseries in the 80s. They’re a team of Universal monsters designed or empowered by a shady US government organization to combat the secretive efforts of the Nazis. Most members have trouble being discovered because they’re based on something more iconic than they’ll ever be. Frankenstein’s Monster, his wife, a robot soldier, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, a vampire, a mummy, andmore classic monsters joinand regularly leave the team. It’s a simple idea with a lot of appeal to a specific audience. It’s the perfect concept for James Gunn to bring to a wide audience.
James Gunn hasn’t done a World War II film or TV show yet. It’s a new setting with a lot less room to experiment than the depths of space. The trade-off is that the stakes, threats, and locations are handled in advance. People know what to expect from a kitschy, off-kilter World War II story. All that is left for James Gunn to figure out is compelling action scenes and likable characters. This is what James Gunn does with every project. He turns nobodies into immediately identifiable and lovable icons. He’ll haveviewers applauding Doctor Phosphorousand G.I. Robot by episode two.
Guardians of the Galaxywas a much tougher challenge thanCreature Commandos. It’s less experimental, even as it dredges up lesser-known characters. No one may knowanything about Eric Frankenstein, but everyone knows the monster he’s based on. James Gunn has demonstrated his skill with D-list characters time and time again. Each new team is a new chance to make icons out of nobodies. He even altered the roster to slide new faces into the mix and add to the already unique selection. IfCreature Commandosdoesn’t work out, it won’t be because James Gunn can’t pull theGuardianstrick off again.
