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The Dark Knight Rises to Protect Gotham in ‘Creature Commandos’

What This Batman Cameo Means For the New DCU

It’s been over two years since industry veterans James Gunn and Peter Safran took the reins at DC, and they initiated a soft reboot of the long-running franchise while retaining some key elements. Ever since, there have been some notable additions to the new DCU, including the upcoming Superman film starring David Corenswet and the currently airing Creature Commandos, a Max original series that follows a group of military superhumans, Task Force M.
Creature Commandos has provided an excellent start for the new DCU, with its compelling characters and James Gunn’s phenomenal writing resonating deeply with viewers. However, the series does more than introduce the new DCU; it also lays the groundwork for any subsequent events through cameos that may very well define the franchise’s future. In the most recent episode of Creature Commandos, viewers were treated to a surprising cameo of Batman, which hinted at what he will look like in future live-action projects.

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Release Date

December 5, 2024

Cast

Indira Varma
, Frank Grillo
, Zoe Chao
, David Harbour
, Sean Gunn
, Alan Tudyk
, Anya Chalotra
, Maria Bakalova
, Viola Davis
, Steve Agee
, Benjamin Byron Davis

Seasons

1

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The Dark Knight Rises to Protect Gotham in ‘Creature Commandos’

Although Creature Commandos took place largely outside of Gotham City, the latest episode, “Priyatel Skelet,” revealed the origin of Doctor Phosphorus and how he came to be the flaming skeleton that everyone fears. These flashbacks offer fans their first look at Gotham and how it is occupied by mobsters such as Rupert Thorne, who leads the underworld while progressively corrupting the city’s high-ranking officials. However, Phosphorus swiftly kills Thorne and his henchmen, becoming the new villain that runs rampant across Gotham until The Dark Knight appears.

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As the episode nears its conclusion, Phosphorus is seen partying with his underlings after seizing Thorne’s criminal empire, but his happiness is cut short when the warehouse’s power goes out, and a hulking shadow of a familiar figure appears as lightning envelopes the sky. While viewers don’t get to see what happens in the aftermath of Batman’s arrival, it is evident that he will demolish everyone in the warehouse to ensure the Phosphorus ends up in prison, where the flaming villain joins Task Force M. To Batman, it is simply eliminating another threat to Gotham’s safety in a future where World War III is imminent, but to fans who are dying to see the Caped Crusader, it’s the best feeling ever.
What This Batman Cameo Means For the New DCU

Batman’s cameo in Creature Commandos comes just days after Superman’s official trailer and the reveal that Matt Reeves’ The Batman sequel would be postponed until 2027. This would imply that Robert Pattinson is the official Batman of the new DCU (considering that The Brave and the Bold will be released after this), but the silhouette we’ve seen in Creature Commandos suggests otherwise.
The animated show’s version resembles a bulky figure with a broad build, as opposed to Pattinson’s slender body structure, which would mean other actors such as Alan Ritchson, who has expressed interest in playing the live-action Batman, might be more suited, but it is not yet confirmed. Furthermore, Batman’s suit in Creature Commandos closely resembles the classic comic design with white eyes, implying that James Gunn intends to portray the Caped Crusader in a more comic-accurate fashion.

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Creature Commandos is set during World War III, a chaotic time when not only do rising countries wage war, but more villains emerge, pushing Batman to be more active than ever. As a result, this could also hint at the fact that the Batman we will see in the new DCU will be a more seasoned, mature version of the character, shaped by numerous experiences. Furthermore, James Gunn stated in a recent interview that he doesn’t plan to create another origin story for The Dark Knight. So, who do you think will play Batman in future live-action DCU films? Creature Commandos is streaming on Max.